


Oops, I Did It Again

by poorasdirt



Series: The Prince and the Kitsune [1]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Awarding Bad Behavior, Backstory Might Be Missing, Belphegor's Crown, Haru may be a Ninja, Headcanon, Humor, Possible Theft, Questionable Plot, She's Borrowing It, Women Being Awesome, bamf Haru, questionable life choices, some violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-22 13:27:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 136,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13167876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poorasdirt/pseuds/poorasdirt
Summary: The first time Haru stole it, it was an accident, desu. Haru wants to give it back. Hahi! Shut up, Xanxus-san. Haru isn't old enough to drink yet, desu. Haru has enough problems to deal with. Haru doesn't need the creepy fake prince stalking her because she accidentally stole his crown again. Hahi! Leave Haru alone, desu!





	1. This isn't stealing

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly have no idea where this came from other than reading the Manga and thinking about what would happen if someone stole Belphegor's crown. Why I chose Haru is beyond me at this point, but I have a rather odd love for background characters since they are so fun to play with.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters aside from a few OCs that might pop up here and there.
> 
> Suggestions: I am open to suggestions, a few chapters have already been written but I've hit a block and would be happy for some inspiration. I'm posting what I got so far.

The first time she stole his crown, she had been on the run from would-be kidnappers. If asked when she was a little girl, she would not say at age sixteen she would be running from anyone. But she found over the years that being friends with Kyoko and Tsuna meant she did a lot of things she never dreamed of when she was a little girl.

It had been a cool autumn night as she sprinted through the darkened streets of Namimori. The men after her were really after Kyoko but she had managed to convince them that she was Tsuna’s girlfriend instead. So, she was skidding around corners and dashing down alleyways with all her might.

After taking one corner, a bit too sharply and nearly running into a pile of trash bags, she spotted him up ahead.

Her eyes had already adjusted to the mad dash she was in. Brown eyes sweeping over his blond hair, the blood on his clothes, the crown on his head. She wasn’t completely sure, but her mind supplied her with a memory of the future that would never be.

He was one of the assassins that helped them, one of the Varia. She knew because she would doubt she would ever forget that stupid hissing chuckle of his. It was almost as memorable as the loud swordsman, Squalo, who stayed to help Yamamoto-kun for a bit.

In the second of her recognizing him, she also registered he appeared hurt and that he was also trying to get away from someone. She heard his pursuers looking for him as he used a wall to stumble along. She whipped her head to the side trying to gauge how long it would take for her own pursuers to catch up to her.

She was fast on her feet. Gymnastics training and her own personal self-training proving invaluable in this whole mafia thing. Her mind also was sharp as it calculated the mathematical formulas necessary to tell her how long she had.

A hop, a skip, and a jump later she was in his face faster than lightning. She remembered him reeling back and his hand moving towards his jacket pocket. But her hand snagged his and shoved it on her waist instead.

Her other arm wrapped itself around his neck as she pushed him hard against the wall behind him. Her hand finding his surprisingly soft and silken hair as her mouth crashed into his. He flailed for all a second before she felt his arms wrap around her more securely.

Her arms were around his neck as she did her best to melt into the kiss. Her heart was pounding as her fingers nimbly traced through his hair and untangled the rather obvious crown on his head. She had promised herself she would give it back as she slipped it between them to hide it from view.

She felt his tongue in her mouth as she heard the pounding of rushing feet behind her. The tongue was a bit distracting but she did her best to focus. The grumbling of his pursuers tapered off into the night which was a relief.

Then just as it seemed he was going to push her away, her own pursuers rushed passed.

It was in that moment she was glad she remembered to wear her reverse hoodie. Kyoko called her insane, but the hoodie was the bomb if she said so herself. Plus, the men were looking for a girl with a black and white hoodie with a kawaii panda face (Including cute round ears) on the hood.

They weren’t looking for a girl with a red-orange hoodie with a kawaii fox hood (also including cute triangle ears).

She waited until her pursuers turned the corner before detangling herself from him. He was panting as he leaned against the wall and she could feel his eyes on her as she leaned back to see if her pursuers were really gone. Once she was certain she turned to him with a grin.

“Hahi! That was convenient, desu.” She said almost standing on her toes to take off. “But Haru has to go stalk her kidnappers now. Try to stay out of trouble, yeah?”

She didn’t wait of his reply and sprinted off after her pursuers. She had to figure out where they were based. Kyoko at least would want to tell Tsuna and Haru was pretty good at sneaking around when she wanted to be.

It wasn’t until after she found their base and figured out who they were, that she realized she was still holding his crown. She blushed and carefully put it on her head for the time being. If she stopped at her house to hide the thing for safe keeping, well she really didn’t want to explain to Kyoko what she was doing with an expensive crown of all things.

She was struck by the fact that it was indeed made from what appeared to be silver or white gold.

It still didn’t save her from telling Kyoko though.

“YOU DID WHAT?!”

Haru had ducked low in her seat, crossing her arms, hoodie once again in kawaii panda mode. It was bad enough she had to fess up to basically physically assaulting someone that looked like a deranged assassin. She also had to fess up to that being her first willing kiss with a boy.

She didn’t fess up to the crown though. Instead she got a nice glass case and put it on a pillow for display. If it really was Belphegor he would figure out who she was eventually, and she could return it then.

Hopefully without a homicide involved.


	2. Don't Haru-Handle Ninjas

The second time she stole his crown, she was both surprised and unsurprised. She wasn’t surprised it happened at Tsuna-san’s house. But she was surprised she managed to get out of there both with the metal diadem and with her life.

It had been a nice slightly chilly autumn day, the weekend really. She had skipped along headed for Tsuna-san’s house to help Sawada-san with the grocery shopping. The kind woman asking her if she would please spend the afternoon watching the kids since Bianchi was off somewhere.

She was just turning the corner when the nice quiet day was interrupted.

“VOI!!”

She almost fell flat on her face with how fast she stopped. When she looked up there were a group of men standing on Tsuna-san’s front step. She blinked a few times before fighting down a cringe.

She had asked Yamamoto-kun about the Varia after her maybe encounter with one of them. She played it off as wanting to know more about the loud blonde that helped Yamamoto train. She learned a lot about Squalo but she also learned quite a bit about the others as well.

She recognized Squalo right off the bat. His long blonde hair almost appeared silver or white with how light it was. He wasn’t waving around a sword but he was standing in the black trench coat uniform that was apparently standard in this time.

She tuned out the loud argument about being quiet. Instead she focused on the group noting the leader, Xanxus, was among them. She recognized him because he was the only one with facial scars and wore that intricate feather and fur piece in his hair.

She placed the Lightning and Sun commanders as well since they were older looking. Plus, she doubted anyone but Lussuria could be that flamboyant. Leviathan was also arguing and deferring to Xanxus rather loudly.

She could also easily spot Mammon-chan. She knew about the Arcobaleno Mist because of Reborn-chan explaining the curse to her and Kyoko. She was sort of pleased to see the tiny Mist was looking a bit older just like Reborn-chan.

It was the last of the Varia commanders that made her a bit hesitant. He looked to be only a year or two older than her with the same wild blonde hair. Not to mention the stripped shirt and crown were exactly like the boy she sort of molested.

Deciding she would just have to suck it up and hope for the best, she flipped the hood of her hoodie up. She hoped he wouldn’t remember the kawaii panda mode of her sweater. She also hoped that he wouldn’t notice the red-orange lining since the kawaii fox face would be hidden in her hair.

She slipped easily around the arguing men. She doubted they even noticed her ghost past. But she politely knocked and waited for the door to open.

“Haru-chan!” Nana greeted her happily after the door opened.

“Hello, desu!” She greeted in return. “Haru is here to watch the children.”

“Thank you, I won’t be gone long.” Nana said with a warm smile.

“Haru knows. We might go to the park though. It’s nice out, desu.” She grinned and was slightly struck that Nana was overlooking the group of dangerous men hovering just over Haru’s shoulder.

“That’s fine, just remember to bring them back before dinnertime.” Nana said leaving the door open and motioning for Haru to enter. Nana shouldered her purse, gave Haru a pat on the cheek, and wandered off to go shopping.

Haru grinned after the woman before hopping into the Sawada residence, leaving the door open.

“Hahi! Reborn-chan! You have visitors!”

Haru ignored the spluttering behind her as Tsuna and Reborn appeared on the top of the steps.

“Haru?” Tsuna asked before noticing the group in the doorway. “HIEE!!”

“Varia.” Reborn greeted blankly.

“What are they doing here?!” Tsuna asked still slightly freaking out.

She wasn’t sure what possessed her. But Haru took a moment to look between the freaking out Tsuna-san and the Varia. Then nonchalantly as she pleased, shrugged her shoulders.

“They’re not selling cookies if that’s what you’re asking, desu.”

There was a moment of silence that barely hid Reborn coughing lightly in his hand. She could see both Tsuna-san and the Varia gaping at her in various degrees of intensity. In the interim she kicked off her shoes and began to walk further into the house.

“Lambo-chan! I-pin-chan! Fuuta-chan!” She called happily with a grin. The sound of small pounding feet answered her.

“VOI!! GIRL!” She winced slightly at the volume of the swordsman.

“Who broke your volume button?” She asked as she rubbed her ringing ear. She barely registered what he said beyond the two words. Mostly it was about how they didn’t look like girl scouts or something along those lines.

She turned to find Squalo opening his mouth for another tirade but he was silenced by Xanxus, who was smirking at her.

“Hahi, no.” She decided and turned to the trio of children that slid up to her. “Alright children, we’re going to the park, desu. Go grab your jackets and let’s get on your shoes, desu.”

“Yes! The park!” Lambo cheered while the other two dashed off. In a timely manner she had the trio dressed and headed for the door where she slipped back on her shoes.

She looked up to find the Varia hadn’t moved. So, she sighed and turned to Tsuna-san.

“Tsuna-san, aren’t you going to let them in? It’s rude to keep guests on the front porch, desu.” She said crossing her arms and shaking her head at the sometimes-hopeless boy.

“Uh…” Tsuna said intelligently.

Haru decided it would be better just to get the kids and go. She really didn’t want to spend too much more time in the presence of the Varia. Not when she could feel the hard stare a certain blonde Storm was giving her.

“Haru will bring them back before dinner, desu. Mama went shopping and will be home before then. Please, don’t destroy the house.” She said simply as she began herding the kids out the door.

“Don’t worry, Haru-chan.” Reborn smirked. “The house will be fine.”

Haru waved to the two and stepped out to catch up with an energetic Lambo. I-pin was chasing after the Bovino shouting about how they shouldn’t be running ahead. Fuuta was just a step behind her casting Haru a look over his shoulder to see where she was.

It would figure just about at that moment; a hand would snag her hood. She stopped dead as she felt the fabric around her throat push into her skin. With a frown she turned to see just who had grabbed her.

“Ushishishi! It is you~!” The blond Storm grinned at her. There was definitely something menacing about his hidden gaze.

“Hello? Please do not Haru-handle Haru, desu.” She said politely. “Hahi! Haru has to keep an eye on the children.”

She paused to glance at how far ahead the kids had gotten. Lambo was halfway down the street already and she would have to run if she wanted to catch up with them. She really didn’t have time to have a conversation about a possibly stolen tiara.

She glanced back to blink at the Varia Storm. He was no longer smiling and his fist had bunched up her hood to show the kawaii fox face. She knew she was in trouble even before he pulled out two knives in his free hand.

“Not until you tell me where it is.” He demanded coldly and Haru noticed the way the others shifted just out of her peripheral vision. If the way Xanxus was frowning was any indication then Haru was in Trouble.

“Please let Haru go.” She said simply. “Haru has to go catch up to the children.”

“The Prince will let you go as soon as you tell me where you put it, peasant.” He hissed at her through clenched teeth.

She knew it wasn’t the time or place. But in that moment, he reminded her so much of Gokudera. She just felt the same cool wash of anger come over her that usually signaled she was going to get into another shouting match with the Hurricane Bomb.

She figured Tsuna noticed it too, judging by the alarmed face he had as she caught sight of him over Belphegor’s shoulder.

“Please do not threaten Haru, desu. Haru knows Haru-Fu.” She said simply moving a step back to cause her hood to tug slightly. “Let Haru go.”

“No.” He growled just as his hand with his knives began to move.

In the next heartbeat, Haru moved as well. She stepped into his guard, one hand snapping around the wrist holding her hood, the other balling as that elbow slammed into his face at eye level. She twisted the wrist in her hand away from her causing him to lose his grip on the fabric.

Her foot slid back in between his feet and she rammed her shoulder into his diaphragm. Using the wrist she twisted, she yanked him up and over her shoulder. Her free hand snagging the two knives out of his hold as he sailed over her form.

He landed solidly on his back and she yanked the wrist she was holding up towards her. She could hear a dulled but loud cracking sound ring in the air. But she was already moving once he was in a more seated position.

Her leg swung round in a sweeping kick that connected her shin to the side of his head. The force of the kick actually sent the Storm sailing into the fence around the Sawada residence. Then before he could recover and she could do more than realize her mind was fiercely running through the calculations, the knives left her hand.

They sunk deep into his shoulders. A stray thought confirming the blades landed cleanly in the only spots that would disable his arms without causing any lingering or fatal damage. Instead he was just pinned there like a butterfly with the slim daggers barely visible with how deep she sent them through his body.

She settled her stance with her hands on her hips. Then she took a breath and gave an exasperated sigh. Only then did she realize she had done all that within the span of a heartbeat.

“Voi.” She heard Squalo almost whisper behind her.

She glanced back to see the rest of the Varia, Tsuna, and Reborn gaping at her. Then she glanced at the fallen prince to find him seemingly unconscious, but he was breathing. So, her head snapped to where the trio of children in her care were.

“Hahi! Lambo-chan!” She dashed off to catch up with them. “Don’t go so far ahead, desu! Wait for Haru!”

She skidded around the corner out of sight of the Sawada residence chasing after her hyper charges. It wasn’t until she reached the park safely with the kids that she realized she was holding something metal in her hand. She looked down and found the silvery crown Belphegor was wearing clenched in her fist.

For a moment she was stunned wondering when she grabbed it. Then she had the barest memory of something glinting in the light when she kicked him. She figured she must have snagged it when it flew from his head.

She groaned and fought down a blush as she plopped the cool metal on her head. She tossed her hood up and figured she could just drop it off with Tsuna when she dropped off the kids. However, when they began leaving the park, Tsuna showed up to take the kids home telling her to go home and lay low for a bit.

Apparently, Belphegor was up and he was _FURIOUS_.

She made it home in one piece and sulked. Her new crown was placed on a nice pillow next to the original one she stole. And she was stuck avoiding Tsuna and his friends for a week.  
She did get a nice and very expensive bottle of Italian red wine from Xanxus though. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to feel about that. Reborn however got a laugh when she asked if it was poisoned.

“So,” The Sun Arcobaleno said with a smirk, “Haru-Fu?”

Haru felt herself blush slightly. “Haru cos-played as a ninja, a warrior, and a few other fighting characters before. To make a cosplay more believable Haru practiced a few moves, desu. It now helps whenever Haru is confronted with perverts on the street.”

Reborn had given her a considering look before his smirk widened slightly. “Maybe you should talk to Hibari about expanding your fighting ability.”

Haru didn’t need to fake how pale she went. “HAHI! Haru does not want to be bitten to death, desu!”

“It’s either that or go in unprepared for when Belphegor comes for you.” Reborn said simply. “What did you take from him anyway?”

Haru knew by the heat coming off her face she was blushing like mad. “Ask Belphegor-san. Haru is too embarrassed to talk about it.”

Reborn raised an eyebrow at her before his smirk grew. She was only slightly surprised he didn’t know. But since it was Reborn, she wouldn’t be shocked when he did figure out just what sort of situation she landed herself in.

Somehow, she doubted he would help her safely return the crowns she had. If anything, he probably would encourage her to steal the next one. Suddenly fighting Hibari-san didn’t seem so displeasing after all, especially if it meant lengthening her life expectancy.


	3. Hahi! Haru did it again!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forget what fanfic inspired this! I read it a while back and a lot of stuff seemed to leak into this one. If anyone knows let me know so I can give the original author the credit they deserve.

The third time she stole his crown, she was being the bait for a Vongola Style Holiday. To be more precise it had been exactly fourteen days after she turned seventeen, in other words, St. Patrick’s Day. Truth be told, it was all Reborn’s fault.

It had been peaceful winter with no sign of the Varia in sight. Apparently, Belphegor went back to Italy and was placed under the Varia version of house arrest until he cooled off. In the meantime, Haru did get around to sparring with Hibari, which in turn meant her winter wasn’t as peaceful as she hoped.

Winter melted into spring, and Haru was content that perhaps the whole crown thing was behind her. She did however take the precautions of redesigning one of the rooms of her house into what amounted into being a safe/panic room. The two crowns were put on beautiful display in glass cases with special high powered cutting lasers guarding them, because she was starting to become paranoid with old age.

It had nothing to do with her recreating some of the stuff Giannini showed her in the future that would never be. Or maybe it did a little. But that was beside the point.

She honestly hadn’t even wanted to participate in the holiday picnic Reborn set up. She was tired from work, school, and the occasional mafia incident she had to take care of without Tsuna knowing. She wasn’t entirely sure why Kyoko was adamant they not tell Tsuna but she went along with it so the boy wouldn’t worry about them.

Still she was a good friend and decided to make an appearance, hoping to keep it brief.

For the holiday she forwent her usual attire for something like one of her cosplay costumes. She wore a simple pair of black leggings to offset the rather audacious top. The top was styled like a kimono with long sleeves in a rich emerald color with a spring inspired print that went to mid-thigh and was closed by a pale pink obi tied properly in the back.

Under the eye-catching silk top, she wore an indigo turtleneck sleeveless shirt that hugged her figure. It helped make the top a little less scandalous. She even pulled out her indigo tabi inspired ninja boots she made for a recent cosplay.

For some added fun she pulled out a forest green neck warmer that was made from some light nylon material that molded to her face when she pulled it up over her nose. It was a good alternative to wearing a medical mask when on the subway and quite fashionable. It also made her look more like a ninja.

With her hair tied up in a more traditional looking topknot with an assortment of hair accessories she really looked like the part of a ninja. So much so she had to go to her closet and dig out the black gauntlet like gloves she made for her recent ninja cosplay. She smirked at herself in the mirror seeing an outfit that looked very similar to the one that earned her first place at the last cosplay competition.

Before she stepped out however, she paused to make sure she tied the cord with two silver round cat bells to her obi.

She knew people wondered why she walked around with the two bells tied to her hip. But that was part of the training game she and Hibari played. She managed to snag his Prefect armband in their first spar together, mostly by chance, and he was slightly disappointed she didn’t wear something similar.

So, the next time she went she had a simple cord with two cat bells hanging from the belt loop of her pants. The cord could be easily snapped with a good tug and it gave Hibari something to try and snatch when they fought. Just because she was wearing an obi didn’t mean there was a chance Hibari might try to jump her for the bells, so that meant they were coming with her.

At first when she got to the picnic everything was as normal. She was complimented by Kyoko and spent some time with Hana. She helped with the children for a bit, before her exhaustion started to creep up on her.

She retreated to one of the trees lining the clearing they were using for the picnic. She blended in quite well as she stretched languidly across a branch to rest her eyes. She never really slept with the Vongola Famiglia around, that was just asking for an accident, but she could meditate a bit.

She could have only been dozing for a few minutes when she was rudely brought back to reality.

“VOI!!”

“Volume button!” She snapped sitting up abruptly.

Her eyes focused as she blinked them a few times and she found the Varia standing there with the others. Squalo was paused in whatever he had been about to say looking around the group with his hands on his hips. Even from where she was she could tell Belphegor was snickering at the swordsman.

She tensed as she noticed the glinting metal in the Varia Storm’s hand.

Squalo also noticed the metal and snatched the knives out of Belphegor’s hand. She blinked as the Varia Rain smacked the younger blond on the back of his head. Still she refused to leave her hiding spot.

She was far enough away that she didn’t hear any of the conversation as Yamamoto-kun approached with his usual smile. Tsuna-san was already showing signs of distress as he was cowed by Xanxus’s mere presence. But the way Lussuria was flitting around, she figured they weren’t there for anything too dangerous.

That’s when something was dropped on her head. She blinked and her hand snapped up to find some sort of headband falling into place. She frowned and looked up to find Reborn on the branch above her smirking.

“Hahi?” She asked feeling the headband that seemed almost styled to go along with her ninja outfit.

“We’re going to play a game.” Reborn declared blandly.

“Game?” She tilted her head but slipped her feet under her in case.

“Just a little game of keep away. First to get your bells wins.” He explained and her eyes widened.

“The Varia are not playing.” She said simply only to get a smirk and to find a Leon-gun leveled right between her eyes.

She vacated the tree with astonishing speed even as the shot rang out. Skidding to a stop on the slightly damp grass she warily stood as Reborn hopped out of the tree she had been occupying. She supposed she was playing whether she wanted to or not.

She barely paid attention to the explanation of the game. Turns out the headband around her head was designed by Giannini to be used as a teleporter. She didn’t like the sound of having to dodge everyone (Vongola and allies) who would be after the bells on her obi.

“Question!” She raised her hand catching the attention of Reborn. “Are you sure this thing is safe, desu? Like, Haru won’t leave a limb behind accidentally?”

“It’s perfectly safe. We tested it extensively.” Giannini said with a grin.

“And does it have a range?” She asked the technician while Reborn went back to explaining the rules.

“About three blocks in any direction.” He said happily and she nodded. She wasn’t going to test if she could get through walls with it though.

So that was how she found herself on the run from the others. As soon as the word “Go” left Reborn’s mouth, she was dodging a fan of knives from a certain grinning Storm. According to a loud exclamation from Squalo, they couldn’t kill her but maiming was still on the table.

She blinked out of there quickly.

It took her a few tries to get the whole teleporting thing down. Instead she mainly used her abilities in acrobatics and track to keep ahead of them. But it wasn’t long before she was bouncing about using the teleportation feature of her headband.

“Haru should have asked how long she was bait.” She panted as she dodged another attempt from Gokudera. He had managed to hound her steps for a good while now and his bombs were attracting the others.

“Four hours.” Reborn’s voice said nearly making her jump.

“Hahi! Four hours?” She wanted to cry. “Wait! How can Haru hear you, desu?”

“There’s a communicator in the headband in case of emergencies.” Giannini said simply and she nodded.

“Okay, desu.” She said realizing they couldn’t see her. “So, four hours, hmm?”

She looked both ways before taking off leaving a cursing Gokudera behind. She would have to put her ninja skills to the test if she wanted to avoid everyone. She spotted the forested area just outside of Namimori and pulled up the cloth to hide her nose and mouth.

Her green clothes worked well in helping to keep her camouflaged as she bounced around the trees. That didn’t mean she didn’t have a few close calls along the way. She nearly got stepped on by Leviathan when she slipped into some tall grass to avoid the man.

He apparently thought she teleported and just rushed passed her.

But she was doing well as the three-hour mark came and went. Of course, that was when Reborn insisted she head back into the town. She grumbled as she broke the tree line and launched herself over rooftops with a loud Squalo on her heels.

“Haru knows your volume button is broken! But where is the mute button?!” She shouted over her shoulder before doing a swan dive off a building to land in a roll and get up to sprint down a street.

“VOI!! GET BACK HERE!”

She slammed on the breaks and quickly pictured a nearby park. She knew the street she was on and could tell something was off. She wasn’t sure what exactly but she nearly ran into three Mist illusions already and was beginning to trust her instincts.

Her landing however could have been better planned. She blinked at the squishy ground she found herself on. Only to look over and nearly pale.

“Oops! Sorry Kyo-Kyo!” She said vaulting off the previously sleeping Cloud Guardian and taking off.

“WOMAN!” He roared behind her making her wince.

“Later Kyo-Kyo!” She called hoping he wouldn’t start chasing her. She didn’t need a fight on her hands as well as being chased around by all her friends.

For added measure she quickly used the teleporter to hop away a few blocks. She was oddly in the clear as she zipped down alleyways and took a detour down a storm drain. She wouldn’t divulge why she knew the storm system of Namimori but once she got into the culvert she was moving quickly through the maze of tunnels.

She stopped at a particular ladder and quickly climbed up. Carefully she rose the manhole cover over her head and gave a good three sixty look around. Then with the coast looking clear, she slid the cover aside and pulled herself out of the storm system.

She slipped the cover back in place and jumped a fence. The construction site she was at would allow her a few good hiding spots with enough escape routes. It also was a good place to take a breather.

“Where are you?” The voice of Reborn nearly made her jump as she took up residence on the second floor of an incomplete building.

“Just past downtown.” She said simply as she panted. “Haru needed to catch a breather.”

“How’d you get there?” Reborn asked sounding slightly stunned and maybe a bit confused.

“Secret.” She sang with a grin. “How much longer does Haru have?”

“Thirty minutes.” Reborn reported and she gave a hum while nodding to herself.

Her body decided they were dodging to the right at top speed just then. As she turned to see what she was dodging she felt her eyes widen. Belphegor was a foot away from where she had been sitting with a fist clasped around air staring at the spot she had been with a confused frown.

“Hahi! Don’t sneak up on Haru, desu!” She said bouncing a few paces away.

“Ushishishi!” He grinned at her as he stood up from his crouch. “So, your speed isn’t just a fluke, little fox.”

She wasn’t sure but the grin he gave her this time was far more frightening than the one he gave her last time. The hard stare from last time was replaced with something far more calculating. It made her frown and start sliding away from him towards one of her exit routes.

Only to feel a slight pressure against her clothes. She risked a glance and in the dim light saw the glinting of some sort of fine string. It was too strong to be spider silk but at the same time it was neither cotton or silk.

“Wires.” She concluded with a frown hearing the Varia Storm snicker. She heard from Yamamoto-kun that Belphegor used wires as well as knives.

“The Prince was planning on luring you here. But you showed up quite willingly.” He said with a bit of swagger as he put a hand on his hips. “Chasing you around the forest was an interesting exercise. How about we see how well you do without space to flee?”

“Belphegor.” Reborn intoned simply and Haru half groaned-half hummed in confirmation. “I suggest you be careful.”

She felt her face go into a deadpan as she stared at the Varia Storm. “Careful he says.”

Belphegor grinned and she was suddenly ducking a pair of knives sent her way. Idly she noted the path had been headed for her shoulders. But mostly she focused on rolling to the side and figuring out the web of wires she found herself entangled in.

Never before had she been so grateful for her gymnastics training. The wires were razor sharp and pulled taught from the knives that anchored them in place. Anyone who ran into the metal strings would have been cut to shreds.

But she dipped, twirled, and bent through the maze of crisscrossing wires with some ease. She still felt them scrap at her skin when she got too close as she dodged another knife thrown at her. But she had some confidence she could get out of this web.

“Haru.” She heard Reborn as she completed a rather mind bending flexible move of twisting on her elbows in a handstand with her legs splayed in the splits.

“Not now, Reborn-chan.” She commanded tipping up into a one-handed handstand and tilting onto her foot to flip out of the way of another knife. “Haru is a little busy.”

She twirled under another wire and back bent over another. She could hear the Varia Prince snickering as he casually flicked more knives in her direction. She was a bit annoyed by that but after she pushed herself under another wire while hugging the ground in the splits she finally reached her destination.

She had noticed the spot when she was dancing through the wires. So, crouching down she braced herself as she looked at the Prince with a frown. She shot up as another few knives were sent at her way.

She grabbed the exposed beam above her and flipped up onto the next level. She heard him curse and smirked finding the next level free of any wires. Sure, she couldn’t go down the steps but she shot quickly across the open floor to one of the windows.

She dove out the window and was quick to teleport herself to the roof of a nearby building. She landed in a roll and came up on her feet. She didn’t look back as she took off across the rooftops.

“Freedom-desu!” She cheered as she vaulted onto a smaller rooftop.

“I take it you got away from Belphegor.” Reborn said dryly making her almost squeak.

“Well not really.” She said glancing over her shoulder. “But Haru is no longer in a web of wires.”

“You probably should start heading back. You have fifteen minutes before the time is up.” Reborn said and absently she noted she still had the bells on her. She wasn’t sure how they hadn’t come free when she was avoiding the wires and knives but they were still there.

Then something crashed into her causing her to yelp as she was forced down onto the roof of a building hard. She absently felt the headband Reborn put on her fall off and skip away. But she was more focused on twisting around and trying to wrestle off the person that tackled her.

They stopped with her on her back looking up at her assailant. She found herself gulping as she found Belphegor towering over her where he was on his knees straddling her hips. He was grinning down at her, his bangs swept aside a bit that she caught a glimpse of a golden color in his eyes.

“Caught you little fox.” He chuckled making her frantic mind settle on a course of action without much consent from her.

Her hand snapped up catching the collar of his striped shirt, twisting it as she tugged him forcefully downward. Her other hand tugged down her mask as it shot up to wrap around his neck. Years of gymnastics making the awkward angle she was sprawled at irrelevant as she crashed her mouth against his.

He gave a jerk. His body tensing and relaxing in waves as he seemed to try to process what was happening. She took the moment to snake her hand around his shoulders.

She pinched at the side of his neck just exactly how Hibari once done to her. He gave another jerk but it was already too late. He collapsed in a dead faint just like she had that time Hibari pulled this trick on her.

Vulcan nerve pinch indeed.

She squirmed out from under him with a huff. For such a slender looking man, Belphegor was almost all heavy muscle. Still it wasn’t long before she was getting back onto her feet with the fallen prince unconscious at her feet.

Huffing, she patted him down and hummed in triumph. She pulled out several spools of wires making her grin. It wasn’t long before she was tying him up and shoving him under a convenient air conditioning unit for safe keeping.

Then she walked over to where the headband had skipped off to. She blinked seeing the silver tiara glinting innocently next to Giannini’s contraption. Rolling her eyes, she picked up the crown and stuffed it into the folds of her top for safe keeping.

She tugged up her mask again as she inspected the headband before putting it back on her head.

“Reborn-chan?” She asked hoping the device wasn’t damaged.

“Trouble?” he asked and she glanced over to where she left Belphegor.

“Just got tackled by Belphegor-san. He’s taking a nap now.” She said checking that the bells were still where they were supposed to be. She even used that trick Hibari taught her to check to see if something was really an illusion.

She still had the real bells.

“Did you get your trophy?” he asked and she felt herself blush.

“Hahi! Reborn-chan!” She whined hearing his huff of amusement. She crossed her arms and pouted. “Haru is going back now.”

It took her the rest of the time to head back. She didn’t trust that the headband wasn’t damaged and she was pretty good at avoiding the others. She was the first to return to a smirking Reborn and a grinning Giannini.

“Headband, desu.” She said handing over the device.

“I see you still have the bells.” Reborn said making her give an exasperated sigh.

“Next time, ask Haru if she wants to participate.” She said getting a smirk from the Sun Arcobaleno.

“We have informed the others that the time is up and that they should be heading back to hear the results.” Giannini said with a grin.

Haru gave a slow clunky nod as she plopped down among some of the stuff the younger kids brought. She pulled out a piece of blank paper from a sketchbook and began drawing using the crayons. She wished she could get away with taking a nap as the others began to slowly get back.

She half listened as Reborn announced they all failed but some failed more than others. Instead she finished her drawing and flipped the paper over to write out a set of instructions. As she finished she heard that Tsuna lost which wasn’t surprising since he hadn’t even managed to track her down unlike the rest.

Suddenly her phone rang. She frowned and fished it out of the folds of her obi right next to where the bells were. If it wasn’t for her phone being there she probably would have let them take the bells earlier.

“Moshi-Moshi Haru speaking.” She answered noting she had the attention of a few.

“Miura-san! Thank the Kami! I know you’re not on call but please. We’re under staffed and the halls are filling.” A frantic woman gushed on the other line.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Is Morimoto-san already in?” She asked standing with a frown.

“He’s already with a patient in surgery. We have another being prepped. Please get here as soon as possible.” The woman said and Haru sighed.

“Right, I’ll see you soon.” She said before hanging up.

“Problem?” Reborn asked with a frown.

“Work.” She said with her shoulders slumped. “They’re understaffed and if I want to keep my job I have to go in.”

He nodded and she began to give her quick goodbyes to her friends.

“Oh!” She paused and skidded up to Squalo with the crayon drawing she finished. “Here, you’ll need this to find Belphegor-san. He tried to slice Haru up so she put him somewhere for safe keeping.”

She shoved the paper into his hands and spun on her heel. She was out of there in half a second, racing towards her workplace. It was only after she skidded into the hospital and was in front of her locker changing into her scrubs did she realize she forgot to give Squalo the crown.

She sighed to herself as she shoved the metal headgear into a safe spot in her locker. She would deal with it later. First, she had to go clock in and then deal with whatever overflow of patients there were in the emergency room.

She was unsurprised to show up at home to find Reborn waiting with a bottle of alcohol. This time it was a bottle of top shelf whiskey. She just sighed and let him in.

“Is this one poisoned?” She asked even as Reborn produced another bottle.

“Neither are.” He said with a smirk.

“Sake?” She asked looking at the very expensive rice wine with a frown.

“For the first crown you stole.” Reborn smirked. “Xanxus felt it only fitting given you now have two others.”

“I’m not making a habit out of it.” Haru protested even as she plopped the wretched silver crown onto her counter. “Haru would give them back if he asked nicely, without knives or wires being involved.”

“That likely isn’t going to happen.” Reborn said sounding far too pleased. “Besides, Mammon is quite pleased with how much money he’s making from Belphegor having to replace them.”

“Haru is going to die.” She bemoaned dramatically flopping so her head was on the island in her kitchen. “She’s going to be stabbed to death and cut up with wires.”

“Probably not.” Reborn said patting her head. “Squalo was impressed with your knots. And tying his wrists to his ankles behind his back was a good way to keep him from escaping on his own. Mammon is even going to send you the video of Squalo following your directions for the Cha-Cha Slide. That was a master level bit of trolling by the way.”

“Thanks. Haru didn’t think he’d follow the steps for the Macarena.” Haru said looking up at the Arcobaleno who wasn’t hiding his amusement at all. “How likely will it be for Haru to avoid the Varia?”

“Pretty likely for the most part.” Reborn said making her sigh in relief. “But don’t forget to work on your training. Hibari seemed pretty upset that you had to go to work when he showed up to find you.”

Haru groaned again.

“He’ll probably show up in the morning to bite her to death.”

“Probably.”


	4. Stolen for real this time

The fourth time she stole his crown, it was all Kyoko’s fault. Well Kyoko and Reborn, but it was mostly Kyoko’s fault. Her wretched best friend dared Haru to steal it.

It was a few weeks after the whole St. Patrick’s Day fiasco. Belphegor and Lussuria were in town to take another stab at recruiting Fran from Mukuro. Haru could care less as she dozed on the back porch of Kyoko’s house while Chrome told Kyoko all about it.

“It looks like you have yet another chance at another trophy.” A voice cut in making Haru crack an eye. She felt justified as her half-lidded eye glared bloody murder at the smirking Sun Arcobaleno.

“Haru is beginning to think her misfortune is becoming your obsession, Reborn-chan.” Haru grumbled only for the fedora to dip and the smirk to grow. It was Reborn’s dark amused and lust for chaos look Haru had learned over the years of knowing the small man.

“Trophy?” Kyoko asked perking up.

“The past three times Haru has encountered Belphegor she has managed to steal his crown and get away.” Reborn said sounding far too pleased. “Her acquisition of the second crown was quite impressive actually. But I still don’t know how she got the first.”

“When did you first steal his crown?” Kyoko asked while even Chrome looked interested.

“Haru didn’t steal it.” Haru defended. “She was holding onto it because it was noticeable and in that situation noticeable would have been trouble, desu.”

“Which situation?” Chrome prompted looking concerned.

“Haru was running from a bunch of perverts that were chasing her. When she came around the corner she noticed him injured and on the run from some guys with guns. Haru just switched her hoodie around so instead of the kawaii panda it was the kawaii fox.” Haru was explaining only for Kyoko to squeal.

“So that’s the person you kissed to get away from those thugs!” Kyoko declared making Haru groan and turn away from them.

“All Haru’s friends are evil, desu.” She decided and that was enough for Chrome and Reborn to grill Kyoko on what information she knew.

“So not only did you steal his crown you stole a kiss?” Chrome asked sounding far to bemused. “When did you take his crown though?”

“Does Haru have to discuss this?” Haru asked turning back to look at them over her shoulder.

“Yes.” All three deadpanned making her sigh.

“After Haru pushed him up against the wall and began kissing him. The angle would have made it easy to spot his crown so she untangled it and hid it from view.” Haru said with a frown.

“Why didn’t you give it back?” Chrome asked with a frown.

“Haru was going to, desu. But she had to take off before the perverts realized she gave them the slip. She didn’t notice she still had it until after she was long gone and in a safer location. She didn’t know where he was staying so kept it for safe keeping.” Haru said feeling her face heat up a bit. “Haru has been trying to come up with a way to give them back without being maimed, desu. But now Xanxus-san is giving her alcohol for every crown she takes. It’s a mess and Haru doesn’t want to add to it.”

Reborn hummed. “That was a sound strategy to get away. You deserve the alcohol.”

“Haru still think’s its poisoned, desu.”

Reborn chuckled.

“So how did she get the second one?” Chrome asked making Reborn’s amusement grow.

Haru sat through a vivid retelling of how she got the second crown. It was interesting to hear from Reborn’s perspective though. Haru hadn’t realized her imaged blurred when she moved to defend herself against Belphegor.

“She left him pinned unconscious to Dame-Tsuna’s fence with his own knives. Instead she took off after the kids who had ran ahead going for the park.” Reborn reported a bit smug. “Even better she didn’t cause any permanent harm so Xanxus couldn’t complain. Though Belphegor did wake up in a temper after finding out his arms were temporarily disabled until they healed.”

“Wow.” Kyoko and Chrome breathed.

“When did you get ninja skills?” Kyoko asked turning to Haru who was doing her best not to blush in embarrassment.

“Haru cos-played as a ninja four times in the past decade.” Haru said with a shrug. “Part of a good cosplay is to know how to act, so Haru did research. It wasn’t until recently that she started to actively use most of the stuff she learned though.”

“It’s enough to get by.” Reborn said with a smirk. “And Hibari should be helping improve your skills.”

“Haru is still displeased with you about that.” Haru said simply getting another chuckle.

“So?” Kyoko asked clasping her hands and practically vibrating in her seat.

“So?” Haru repeated warily.

“The third crown.” Kyoko prompted. “How’d you get that one?”

“Yes,” Chrome practically squealed, “tell us!”

Haru knew her face turned a whole different shade of red then. But since she couldn’t find a way to escape, especially with Reborn right there looking both smug and curious, she caved. It was easy to talk about at first, up until he tackled her during the competition.

“H-Hahi. Haru didn’t know what to do. S-So she kind of, um,” Haru hid her face behind her hand, “grabbed his shirt and kissed him again.”

“No way!” Kyoko squealed in delight while Reborn chuckled.

“It was enough of a distraction, so Haru could use this nerve pinch thing Hibari used on her once. It knocked him out and Haru used the wires she found on him to tie him up.” Haru said still red from embarrassment.

“He fell on top of you, didn’t he?” Reborn prompted and Haru just about squirmed as she hoped the ground would swallow her whole. “So, when did you take the crown?”

“It fell off when he tackled me. Haru found it next to the headband Giannini made. Since she didn’t want to crawl under the air conditioning unit she put him under just to put it back on his head, she decided to take it with her and give it to Squalo-san.”

“But you forgot when you gave him the map.” Reborn was far too delighted and smug for Haru’s own good.

“Yes,” Haru grumbled. “Can Haru die of embarrassment now?”

The three once again deadpanned, “No.”

“Oh Kami!” Kyoko clapped her hands excitedly. “How are you going to steal his crown this time?”

“There is no this time, desu.” Haru argued. “Haru is going to avoid, Belphegor-san. She wants to avoid being maimed.”

“Come on, you already got three.” Kyoko coaxed but Haru just sent her an unimpressed look.

“Yes. Haru stole three crowns from a known assassin, desu. Key words being, stole from a known assassin. Haru would very much like to continue living, thank you.”

“She does have a point.” Chrome pointed out softly.

“What if I dare you?” Kyoko pressed ignoring the Mist easily.

“No dice,” Haru said with a frown. “Haru is not risking her health on a simple dare.”

“Okay,” Kyoko said thoughtfully before perking up. “How about I dare you and if you accomplish it I buy you a cake.”

Haru paused thinking of it before opening her mouth to decline.

“A three-layer cake.” Kyoko cut in. “Chestnut, chocolate, cheese cake, specially made by the little cake shop on third street.”

Haru closed her mouth and cursed herself. That sounded delicious and expensive. Plus, a part of her was railing against her reluctance to accept the dare.

She probably spent too much time around Hibari to be so insulted with herself about it. She knew Hibari didn’t back down from a challenge and this was exactly that. A challenge that Haru was sure, if she thought through, she could accomplish with some measure of success.

Success being not getting injured when stealing from a psychotic killer.

It’s official, she thought, Haru has gone insane.

She sighed. Kyoko clapped her hands together to squeal. Reborn smirked. And Chrome gave her a small encouraging, yet apologetic, smile.

“I’ll make sure everything holds up on our end of this bargain.” Chrome decided. “Even if Reborn-san has to buy the cake.”

So that’s how, against her better judgement, Haru found herself on a quest to acquire Belphegor’s crown. This being the first time she actively was seeking it out, rather than circumstances leaving her with it, she had to do some planning. She was still cursing Kyoko for the dare though.

Luckily, Chrome told her that Belphegor and Lussuria were in town for the whole week. It gave Haru three days to prepare for the inevitable. And she wasn’t just going to rush up to him and kiss him.

No matter what Kyoko might be thinking.

Instead Haru used her connections with Hibari to figure out where the two assassins were staying. She grumbled to her sometimes collaborator about how she heard Belphegor was in town. And he was surprisingly forthcoming in the locations the Varia usually stayed at when visiting.

From there it was narrowing down which extravagant hotel Prince the Ripper was staying at. It took her all an afternoon to locate her target and to begin figuring out what exactly she would do. Once again, cosplay saved her.

Her plan was almost painfully simple.

She acquired the appropriate attire for a housekeeper at the establishment in question. She did a bit of digging and figured out what detergent and fabric softener was used in the laundry. She even went as far as to find bath soaps and a perfume that smelt like the scented cleaning products used.

If she was going to blend in, she couldn’t have some overwhelming perfume tip off her target. She wasn’t too certain just what sort of capabilities Belphegor (or Lussuria) had. But she was fairly certain from nearly three years of knowing Reborn, just what to expect in terms of how on edge assassins were.

Her greatest challenge however was slipping in, dressed in her housekeeper uniform, and acquiring a master key. She didn’t have any fancy gadgets to hack the key card locks. But she had cos-played as a thief on a few occasions.

She would never admit to it, but for that role she forced herself to figure out how to pickpocket someone.

She entered the hotel near the dead of night, when she knew the security guard on shift would be tired and close to his break. She walked with purpose, channeling the body language of a housekeeper, as she made it through the halls. She kept her head down like she knew some of the newer employees did.

It was only a matter of slipping past the head housekeeper who didn’t give her a second glance as she walked through the break-room. Her hand quickly snagging the key-card that she knew was in the woman’s pocket. Then it was out to the halls again and a slightly twisted route to the room she knew the assassins were staying in.

She checked her watch as she came up to the door. She timed it just right that the security guard would be going on break. So, with her heart in her throat she slipped in soundlessly to the suite the two assassins were sharing.

She slipped off her ballet flats and pulled out a pair of thin gloves and slim goggles. Pressing a button near the edge of the frame of her goggles, she suddenly saw the room in a wash of greens and blacks. Shoes in hand, her stocking covered feet lightly ghosted through the extravagant main room of the suite.

Earlier when she was scoping out the hotel she spied Belphegor had taken the room with access to the balcony. She was grateful for the high-powered binoculars she bought on a whim in that instance. But now she was carefully and smoothly gliding to her destination.

Over the past few weeks of sparring with Hibari she learned a lot. One of the things she learned well was how to sneak. It was all about remain calm and not intentionally sneaking.

Instead she acted as she was supposed to be there. Convinced herself that this was normal and she had no ill intentions towards the person she was about to steal from. It helped her center herself so her aura seemed to disappear altogether, a trick that annoyed Hibari to no end after she figured it out.

He said it was like she blended into the scenery.

So, she blended as she quietly opened the door and slipped into the room. She was glad to see the Prince was asleep on the bed and all the lights were out. She was displeased to see the crown she was after still being worn by said sleeping prince.

This is normal, she told herself, perfectly normal.

Ghosting up to him, carefully gliding her feet as not to disturb the pattern of the rug, she looked around checking for any traps. This was another thing she learned to look out for thanks to Reborn. Something Tsuna seemed to forget about, which usually lead to some hilarious explosion or other.

But there were no traps she could see. Still she held a bit of caution as she examined the room. And when she got to her target she just about lost her cool.

Belphegor was sprawled on the bed, sheets kicked to the foot of the mattress, and utterly naked. She knew the night was a bit humid and hot, but she didn’t expect this. It took all her willpower not to look at the exposed flesh that filled her night vision goggles as she looked down at the man.

She knew he had muscle despite how slim he looked. She didn’t need to examine just how cut he was. Besides, she was there to steal from him.

So, she steadied herself and focused on the crown resting on a pillow of blond strands. The evil silver circlet that was the bane of her existence. She tried not to question her rather questionable life choices and focused on her mission.

Checking to make sure he was still asleep, she frowned. Belphegor was almost grimacing in his sleep, fingers twitching as he suddenly thrashed and turned over. Clearly it wasn’t the heat that had him kicking the covers nearly off the bed.

She cringed slightly knowing the dangers of waking someone from a nightmare. It didn’t help she didn’t really want to wake him up either. Mentally sighing she tried to think of something that would defuse this situation.

Biting her lip for a second she took a breath and leaned over the sleeping assassin. If she was careful she could settle him and get away without any trouble. She certainly had enough practice settling an upset Lambo.

“Shh, it’s okay.” She whispered gently into his ear. “Hush, little prince. It’s only a dream. You’re safe. Hush now, you’re a prince after all.”

He didn’t exactly settle but some of his distress seemed to slip away. She had a heart stopping moment thinking he was awake. But his steady if slightly distressed breathing and the barely heard sleep filled whispering settled her fears.

“Come now, little prince.” She crooned gently against his ear. Her hand gently reaching up to card through his sweat soak locks. “Rest, you’re fine. You’re Prince Bel. Nothing can defeat you.”

He relaxed a bit more as she scrapped her nails against his scalp. His distress evening out a bit more. But she could tell he was thankfully still asleep.

Not knowing what else to say to calm him, she instead started to hum gently. Her fingers working out the knots and pins that kept the damn crown in place. It was placed gently off to the side, next to her shoes that were resting innocently on the bedside table.

She thanked Bianchi as her gentle humming morphed into a barely whispered Italian lullaby. The lullaby flowed into another as he began to settle fully into a restful sleep. Content he was now out of whatever was haunting his dreams, she began to pull away as she finished the second lullaby.

Only for his hand to snag hers. He gave a displeased grunt and tugged her hard. She bit back a screech as she landed almost face first onto his chest.

She glanced up wildly only to feel him snuggle his face into her hair and wrap his arms around her waist. He gave a sigh and settled as he held her like a prized stuffed toy. She had to force herself not to react as she felt her heart skip a beat.

She was stuck being cuddled by a very naked very dangerous assassin. She could already hear Kyoko cackling at her predicament. Instead she gently rearranged herself so she could reach up and begin petting his hair again.

It took a heart stopping five minutes before she got his arms to loosen. She was surprised just how deeply asleep he was as she slid off the bed. A soft whisper about tucking him in got her free, so she carefully pulled up the covers and stuffed them around his form.

She leaned down one last time to give him a kiss on the top of his head. The action allowing her to push back his bangs to make sure he wasn’t actually staring at her. But he was indeed fast asleep, so she took her shoes and the crown to make her get away.

She bit down a gulp as she managed to slip out of the suite and into the hall. The guard on shift should either be coming back or in the process of getting back on track. So, she confidently strode down the hall like she belonged there and swallowed her freak out for later.

A quick stop to drop the master key-card in a convincing place, she was out of the hotel as quick as she possibly could be without raising suspicion.

She made it all the way home before sinking to the ground with her back against her front door.

“Oh…my…FUCK!”

She buried her face into her hands and let the intense desire to have a panic attack wash over her. Her face was blistering hot, her breath was hiccuping in her gasps, and her heart was pounding faster than she ever thought possible. She felt so dizzy and she knew she was shaking like a leaf, but she had managed to accomplish it.

She had managed to steal the damn crown, which was now resting innocently on the floor next to her.

She was unsurprised when tears began to build up in her eyes. She let them fall as she tried to get her hyper pants under control. Just closing her eyes brought up a full picture of his naked form to her mind.

She wondered if mental bleach was a thing and how much it costed. That was one mental image she could do without. Especially when she realized she had basically snuggled with all that.

“Onee-san?” A voice called and she looked up to see the tired form of Sayuri standing there.

The high schooler was in her night shirt and sleeping shorts. Long black hair pulled back in a lengthy thick braid. But dark eyes were still sharp despite the long slim lightly tanned fingers rubbing sleep out of the edges of them.

“Sorry,” Haru said shakily standing, “life just decided to traumatize me.”

She got a snort of amusement. “Okay. Are you heading to bed? Or do you still have work tonight?”

Haru blinked before managing a wane smile. “Bed sounds like heaven. Are Hikaru and Hotaru sleeping?”

“I put them down just after you left.” Sayuri said with a smile.

“Thanks again.” Haru said with a sigh as she swept up the crown to put it somewhere safe until tomorrow.

“No problem, boss.” Sayuri said turning to go back to bed. “I’ll be happy to watch them after school tomorrow as well.”

“Some days I wonder what I’d do without you.” Haru said with a warm smile before heading to bed. She resolutely refused to think of naked princes and stupid crowns as she headed off to dreamland.

The next afternoon found her heading into Tsuna’s where her tormentors were currently at. She slumped as she felt the crown hidden in the inside pocket of her panda hoodie. She hoped she wouldn’t be seeing the prince any time soon, she wasn’t sure her blood pressure was ready for that.

Figures as she walked into the kitchen where Kyoko and Chrome were supposed to be, she found the two Varia assassins as well.

“YOU!”

“Hahi!” Haru jumped back and making the sign of the cross. “Back demon! Haru is innocent, desu!”

Belphegor paused with his mouth open as he just stared at her. Lussuria and Reborn both hid chuckles behind their hands. While Tsuna seemed to be freaking out in the background.

“Wait,” Haru stood up slightly from her defensive stance, “what are you accusing Haru of this time?”

Belphegor snapped his mouth shut and shook his head. “The Prince is missing his crown. Whenever you are around it goes missing. So where is it, peasant?”

Haru took a moment to blink, look him over to see indeed his crown wasn’t on his head, then blink again.

“Uh,” She tilted her head. “Haru is more concerned with avoiding being maimed, desu. Being anywhere near you is a good way to be maimed. So why would Haru know where your crown is, if she has been doing her best to avoid maiming?”

He frowned eyeing her as she blinked innocently at him. “If you don’t know where it is, then where is it?”

“When was the last time you saw it, desu?” Haru tried.

“Yesterday, before the Prince went to sleep.” Belphegor answered simply.

“Did you check where you put it before you went to bed?” Haru offered getting a sniff from the prince.

“The Prince does not take off his crown.” He said crossing his arms.

Luckily the shock at how easily he admitted that helped her cover any of her tells.

“You sleep with it?” She asked not needing to fake her incredulously.

“Yes, so the Prince should still have it.” Belphegor said simply.

“Did you check in that space between the mattress and the headboard?” She asked holding onto her shock but still going with the flow. “Haru heard things like to fall down there on western beds, desu. Wait, where ever you’re staying has a western bed right?”

She after all had always preferred futons because it meant she could practice her stretches in her room comfortably. She mentally shook herself from her wayward thoughts to see him frowning again. Then he turned and began stalking out of the room, no doubt to look.

“If you’re staying at a hotel and it’s not there, try asking the staff.” She called after him. “Unless you put that do not disturb sign on your door to keep them out, desu.”

She leaned back and watched from around the corner of the door as he put on his boots and walked out. She waited a few long seconds before sighing. Then she turned to find Kyoko and Chrome looking at her with a raised eyebrow each.

“What?” She asked.

“If he’s lost his crown how are you going to complete the dare?” Kyoko asked crossing her arms.

“Um,” Haru pushed some of her hair behind her ear before turning to a curious Lussuria. She pulled out the damnable crown and handed it to him. “Can you see he gets this without him finding out Haru took it?”

Around the room jaws dropped, even as Lussuria absently held the crown in his hands. Tsuna looked about ready to faint, while Gokudera was certainly on the edge of another argument about her intelligence, but Yamamoto was giving her a friendly grin with a hint of curiosity there. Kyoko and Chrome were both outright gaping at her, while Reborn just had his eyebrows so high the rim of his fedora hid them.

Haru shifted a bit self-conscious as she turned to the trio of evil that dared her to steal the crown in the first place.

“You owe me cake.” She simply pointed out to Kyoko who snapped out of her shock.

“Is that really his crown?” The perky school idol asked looking at Lussuria for confirmation. The assassin paused and examined the crown before frowning at Haru.

“It is his crown.” Lussuria confirmed and Haru could feel the holes his eyes were trying to bore into her.

Instead she focused on boring holes into Kyoko with her arms crossed. She did it, damn it. So where was her cake?

“How’d you even?” Kyoko asked blinking at her in surprise.

Haru shook her head. “We agreed, Haru steals the crown you give her cake. Simple. No explanations needed, desu.”

“Come on,” Kyoko prodded. “You have to tell us.”

“Haru doesn’t.” Haru said simply. “You still owe her that cake.”

Kyoko turned to share a look with Chrome. Then the devil girl was grinning and the two rushed up to Haru. She didn’t have much time to protest as each grabbed an arm and began dragging her out.

“Come on,” Kyoko practically squealed. “We’ll go get that cake and you can tell us how you got the crown.”

“Is it as interesting as the other crowns you acquired?” Reborn asked as he followed along.

Haru instead grumbled about how all three were evil and she could walk just fine on her own. She was so distracted by Kyoko trying to probe her for information she was stunned to find Lussuria had joined them when they made it to the cake shop. She probably would have still not noticed him if he hadn’t dropped the crown on her head with a smirk.

“You’re supposed to be giving that back so Haru isn’t maimed.” Haru said instantly flipping her hood up. She wouldn’t take any chances.

“Oh, don’t worry dear. I won’t tell him until after we are on the plane back to Italy. But for now, why don’t you hold onto it.” The Varia Sun cooed and Haru began to suspect he was conspiring with the evil trio. “But please, why don’t you tell us how you got it?”

She glared at him. “If she doesn’t you’re going to tell Belphegor-san where his crown is, desu.”

Lussuria’s grin was somehow proud and unfriendly at the same time.

“You’re evil.” She decided. “Like those three.”

Lussuria chuckled and Haru wondered if there was something she could do to get back at the four of them. She just knew she would have to go through another retelling of her last three crown acquisitions. Kyoko would just love to catch the Varia Sun up on the ongoing drama that was Haru’s currently predicament.

Haru was disappointed with her cake. The cheesecake was a bit too rich, the chocolate a bit too bitter, and the chestnut layer was so dry it got stuck in her throat. It didn’t help that she felt trapped in her chair as the four grilled her about her success.

Haru had half a mind to not leave anything out. But wasn’t sure if Belphegor wanted it to be known he had a nightmare or not. Instead she grumbled through trying to untangle the crown only to be pulled into bed with the sleeping assassin.

She was right, Kyoko did cackle long and hard when she learned about that.

She also luckily kept most of how she got into the room secret. She knew by how Reborn and Lussuria were eyeing her that they wanted to know about that part especially. But a simple explanation of ninja-skills appeased her audience for now.

Still she only got through half her cake. After her retelling, Kyoko, with the help of Reborn, just had to tell Lussuria about the other escapades he didn’t know about. Then came the friendly teasing about how she might get the next crown from the bloodthirsty prince.

She wasn’t sure why. But the teasing and being stuck there trying to eat the damn cake just sort of got to her. She no longer felt like she accomplished something and instead was about ready to punch Kyoko as the girl made some comment about maybe getting Haru and Belphegor on a fake date.

Haru stood abruptly and tossed down her fork. She managed to growl out that there won’t be a next time. Then she turned on her heels and was out of the shop before the others could react.

Haru stopped only to drop the crown off at her house safely. Then she was on the hunt for the one person in Namimori that she could punch without there being consequences. Well, there were consequences to punching Hibari but not far reaching ones.

An hour-long fight later, she returned home feeling better as she sucked on her busted lip to get it to stop bleeding. She figured she’d have a black eye as well but she no longer was angry so that was a plus. She was even barely phased to see Reborn waiting for her with a bottle of Vodka and a cake box.

“You didn’t finish your cake.” He said simply as she opened it to find the half-finished cake.

“Is this poisoned too?” She asked with a sigh as she let him in and headed to put the cake away.

“No.” He said following her and she could tell he was watching her closely. “Are you okay?”

“Just stressed.” She said running a hand over her face.

“Stressed?” He asked sitting down and eyeing her.

“Kyoko-chan doesn’t get it.” Haru said with a sigh as she also found a seat. “Belphegor-san’s knives are very real and very sharp. It’s not like we’re in some romantic comedy or something. I know if he really wanted to, he could probably kill me with a flick of his wrist.”

“Lussuria assures me, he won’t tell until after they leave.” Reborn said patting her arm.

Haru took a breath and let it out.

“If you can trust him than Haru will trust him.” She said bringing her hand up to gnaw on her thumb nail. “But Haru isn’t going to accept any more dares to take his crown again. If she can’t enjoy her cake in peace then what’s the point?”

Reborn nodded solemnly. “Some of the teasing went a bit far.”

Haru really tried but her eyes stung as her vision blurred a bit. She wasn’t even sure why some of the comments bothered her. But before she could stop herself, she felt the first hot track of tears slip down her cheek.

She sniffed. “Sorry. It’s just hard having to be nice to her all the time.”

“Nice?” He asked with a frown.

“Yea,” She rubbed at her eyes. “Sometimes she just pushes too far, but if Haru or Chrome upset her than Tsuna-san finds out. He gets upset with us about how we upset Kyoko-chan. Gokudera always sides with him and Yamamoto-kun does the frowny face thing. Ryohei-san tries to figure out how it happened but usually he asks us to stay away from Kyoko-chan for a bit. So that means no going over to Tsuna-san’s house.”

“I noticed that.” Reborn said simply.

“It’s just.” Haru sniffed and tried to pull herself together. “Sometimes, I really want to hit her. She knows the others side with her so if she acts upset they’ll come to her rescue. It wasn’t so bad before, but now that she’s dating Tsuna-san. Sometimes. Just sometimes. I want to punch her.”

“What brings this up?” Reborn asked patting her arm.

“She knew I didn’t want to talk about any of this. She promised not to bring up the whole kissing as a distraction thing. It’s why I’ve stopped telling her stuff. She’s really gotten into gossiping since starting high school. I just, sort of, felt trapped at the cake shop, especially with Lussuria-san there. I just, it’s frustrating and stressful, and I don’t want to deal with Belphegor-san anymore. Especially if she tries to put us into situations where she thinks I can steal his crown in some twisted romance she has brewing in her head.”

“Okay.” Reborn said simply and she sniffed.

“Okay?” Haru asked frowning at him, still trying to wipe away her tears.

“I’ll talk to Dame-Tsuna about how unfriendly Kyoko-chan is being. And if she does something like this again, just tell me.”

Haru blinked before slowly nodding. She didn’t want to get Tsuna in trouble with Reborn. But she was near the end of her rope, especially since Kyoko just loved to tease her about Belphegor since finding out about it.

Not even three days had passed and Haru was getting calls from Kyoko about it.

“Besides, I encouraged the dare to test how skilled you are currently.” Reborn said simply with a smirk. “You exceeded my expectations. If you tell me how exactly you got into the room, I’ll even tell Dame-Tsuna that Kyoko is actively trying to get you killed.”

Haru sniffed as she slowly calmed down again. “That’s a bit extreme, Reborn-chan.”

“It’s the truth though. Besides, you are turning out to be a potentially powerful asset if you remain in the family.” Reborn said eyeing her seriously.

Haru sighed and wiped at her eyes again. “Haru cos-played as a thief a few times.”

Haru felt oddly lighter when Reborn left. She trusted the Sun Arcobaleno to be fair when it came to family. The fact that she was still considered part of the family helped.

Especially the part where Reborn assured her again that Belphegor couldn’t kill her without some extreme consequences.


	5. Devil at the Door

The fifth time she stole his crown, it was all his fault. She had known that eventually things would lead to this. But when she got off work and was heading home she just sort of wanted to die as she found him on her front porch.

She wasn’t sure how he hadn’t figured out where she lived prior to that. Or why he hadn’t even given her a call to arrange a way for her to give the crowns back. But she had known that eventually things would lead to her finding him waiting for her.

It was for that reason and that reason alone she upgraded her home security.

There was a reason Reborn met her on the porch after all. She made sure he couldn’t get in. So, likely she wouldn’t wake up to Belphegor hovering over her while she slept.

The fact that was one of her more prevalent nightmares just showed how stressed this whole crown thing was making her.

Anyway, she waltzed into her yard from the gate to find him lounging on the steps of her front door. He didn’t look any different from the last time she saw him… clothed. His back was propped up against the door as he almost laid sprawled on the steps with a book in his hand.

She blinked as she took him in. She felt slightly stupid just standing there with her keys in hand. But she wasn’t exactly sure what she should be doing.

“Ushishi.” He closed his book, clearly having spotted her. “So, you are finally home, little fox.”

“Uh, yes?” She tilted her head. “Haru had to work a double shift today, desu. What are you doing here, Belphegor-san?”

“The prince is certain you know why I’m here.” He said standing up in a fluid motion. “Lussuria told me all about how you managed to steal my crown again.”

She couldn’t help the fact her cheeks flushed slightly. “Hahi! Haru apologizes, desu. But Kyoko-chan dared her and she wanted cake. Haru can give you back your stolen property if you wish, desu.”

A grin stretched across his face then. It was all teeth yet not nearly as unsettling as the time he snagged her hood at Tsuna’s house. She still didn’t trust it, or him, as he began stalking towards her.

She also wondered what was wrong with her as her feet staid glued in their spot. She knew logically she should be backing away from the slightly unhinged professional killer. But something, almost instinctual, was keeping her rooted to where she was, unable to back down.

It reminded her of her spars with Hibari actually.

“You know,” He said pulling her from her thoughts, “I was going to return the favor. Perhaps lie in wait after touring your little abode. But imagine my surprise when I found your home to be nigh impenetrable. In hindsight it shouldn’t be that surprising. Should it, little fox? After all you certainly know your way around some adequate security. Ushishishi, yes, you can certainly come and go without a trace.”

He strode right up into her space. It made her shoulders tense and her back straighten. But aside from keeping him in view she did little more than frown at him.

He leaned forward, almost like he was going to say something in her ear. But she twisted back and away a bit, leaning away without stepping back. She felt her eyebrows scrunch and her lips thin as her eyes hardened.

He’s grin widened a bit before he purred, “I must admit, the Prince is impressed.”

Haru felt her hands clench into fists. “Stay out of Haru’s personal space. It’s a happy bubble and you’re not allowed in it, desu.”

“That’s rich coming from you.” He said pressing closer but Haru refused to back away. “I seem to recall several instances of us being very close.”

He was close enough now she could faintly smell a hint of mint on his breath. The earthy scent of his aftershave and a faint trace of some sort of cologne also hit her as the wind blew gently in her face. He was standing close enough that she could feel the warmth of his body close to her, but they weren’t touching.

“Exonerating circumstances.” She said simply. “Why would I willingly be anywhere near you?”

“Oh?” He sounded amused. “Do you go around kissing random men normally?”

“Why ask? Are you still afraid of cooties?” She shot back feeling her hackles rise.

“Not cooties.” He said thoughtfully. “But mono is certainly a concern.”

She felt her eyes roll. “You’re more than likely to catch the common cold than contract Mononucleosis. And how dare you insinuate I might have some infectious disease. I should slap you for that alone. Now out of my space, Belphegor-san.”

He paused. What little of his expression she could see smoothed to a blank look. Then a slow smile stretched his lips again as he chuckled.

“Am I making you nervous, little fox? The Prince is surprised you know how to speak in first person.” He purred as he slid further towards her.

He was so close now that she would have to take a step back if she wanted to cross her arms. She could almost feel his clothes brush hers as the wind blew around them. Yet she refused to back down as she lifted her chin to glare at where his eyes were supposed to be under all his hair.

“What do you want, Belphegor-san? And how do you know where I live?” Her voice was pitched low in a cold smooth authoritative tone.

Because she was so focused on him, she saw the way he shivered. It was a faint thing that was followed closely by him slowly licking his lips. It suddenly made her aware that he was hovering over her like a hungry predator.

“I want many things, little fox.” He grinned. “As for how I know where you live, you can thank the Decimo’s girl. She was more than happy to tell me. I didn’t even have to ask.”

Figures, Haru thought irritably. Kyoko would be the one to invite the devil to Haru’s door. Haru was definitely going to tell Reborn about this, consequences be damned.

“You don’t look surprised.” Belphegor pointed out.

“She thinks we’re in some romantic comedy. But last I checked Silence of the Lambs wasn’t considered romantic… or a comedy.”

He chuckled. “So, which of us is Hannibal Lecter? And which is Clarice Starling?”

“Please,” she drawled, “I’ll only be Starling if you’re Buffalo Bill.”

“Ouch, Kitsune, that hurt.” He faked a pout. “We have more chemistry than that.”

“We have as much chemistry as hot oil and water. Now back off, Belphegor-san.”

“And if I don’t?” His grin was a challenge if she ever saw one. “Are you going to burn me?”

“Burn you?” She gave a delicate snort. “I will bite you to death.”

“Been spending time with that Cloud Guardian, I see. But I warn you, I’ll bite back.”

“What do you want from me?” She sighed.

“Originally I wanted my crown back. But you have proven to be far too impressive and intriguing, Kitsune. I’m not entirely sure what I want from you anymore. You just keep surprising me.”

“If you touch me, I’ll consider it assault and will move to defend myself. If you wait out here, I’ll go get your crown, so you can leave.”

They stood there in silence for a long minute. She could feel his stare as he seemed to consider her. Then he grinned and took a sweeping step back.

“Alright, Kitsune.” He said making a sweeping motion with his hand to her front door. “Go get the Prince his crown.”

She eyed him for a split second. She wasn’t sure she should trust him. Then she decided to just get the crowns and be done with this.

She took the quickest path to her door. Unfortunately, it brought her an arm’s length away from the Storm. She was almost past him when she felt the hand clasp on her forearm.

“On second thought,” he began.

But she was already moving. Her body twisting as her free arm snapped up. Her balled fist connecting with his jaw, causing his head to snap to the side.

His hand let go of her arm as he staggered. She sprung out of his reach as he rubbed his jaw. Her eyes narrowing at the grin he wore as he recovered.

“Quite the bite you got, Kitsune.” He said as his hand rose with knives at the ready. “Care to feel mine?”

She dodged the first five knives effortlessly. Her mind keeping note of the angles and landing points. The memory of the construction site and the web of wires played in the background.

In all honesty she could have done without fighting in her work uniform. The knee length pencil skirt restricted her mobility and her black flats had no traction. Not to mention her thin white blouse provided little protection against the wires.

The proof being how easy it tore as she barely dodged another knife.

However, unlike the game of keep away, this time Haru fought back. It wasn’t easy. He knew how to keep an opponent down range, but she was clever.

She pulled out some of the knives she knew had wires and threw them. She purposely missed him but made sure to aim so the wires would cross as they flew towards him. He got entangled, giving her enough of a distraction to cause some damage.

She broke bones. First his left arm. Then his right leg.

She ducked and weaved. Lashing out with a calculated hit to snap a few ribs. Swinging low to kick out his feet just to stomp down to fracture his pelvis.

The fight wore on as Belphegor gave as good as he got. Haru found herself covered in cuts, some shallow while others exposed muscle tissue. She even had a few worrying stab wounds that slowly gushed blood.

But despite her ever-increasing blood loss, it was Belphegor who lost. The adrenaline keeping him going couldn’t take away all the pain she was inflicting. And Haru only needed one good opening.

She grabbed his face and forced him backwards. His taller frame making it worse as she put all her weight into slamming his head down on a rock in her garden. He didn’t get back up, but she was pleased to see he was still breathing.

She took only a moment to breathe before going inside. Grabbing some peroxide and duct tape, she closed the worse of the cuts and stab wounds. Then she was back outside to wrap him up in his own wires.

She tossed him over her shoulder and staggered from more than just his weight. She closed her eyes and took a few breaths to help her focus. Then she was off to Tsuna’s house, cursing the world for tilting as she walked.

Somehow, she was unsurprised to see Nana out and the place crawling with mafiosos. She ignored all that, so she could focus on nearly kicking the front door down. Her dramatic entrance making the gathered group pause in what appeared to be an ongoing argument.

She could care less as she stomped in. She paused to drop the still unconscious Belphegor at Xanxus’s feet, uncaring of the Prince’s injuries. But it didn’t stop her long, before she rounded on a cowering Tsuna.

“ _You_ ,” she hissed utterly pissed off. “I don’t care if they are considered a friend or not. The next time _your girlfriend_ gives a _known assassin_ my home address **_without my permission_**. I **_WILL_** break _your_ jaw. Got that?”

Tsuna gaped at her like a fish for a long second. Then he snapped out of his shock to nod. Content he got the message she spun on her heels and began stalking out the door she just kicked in.

“Wait!” Tsuna called with what sounded like someone scrambling to their feet behind her. “Haru-chan! Where are you going?!”

“The hospital.” She shot back. “I need stitches and a blood transfusion, maybe two. The world can’t decide what angle it wants to tilt at.”

She surprisingly made it halfway down the block before they began trying to manhandle her into a car. She was about as agreeable as a harassed cat being forced to take a bath. They won due to sheer numbers and child proof door locks.

She wasn’t sure what story they gave the hospital. But she got her stitches and three blood transfusions. She also got a few days off work due to medical leave.

She left the hospital after two days. Belphegor however was stuck in a full body cast. She broke and fractured nearly sixty percent of all the bones in his body.

But he’d make a full recovery… eventually.

She didn’t even bat an eye at finding Reborn waiting for her when she returned home. Instead she let him in as usual. Her eyebrow twitching slightly at the blood splattered crown and bottle of vodka he sat down.

“Haru was sure he still had that, desu.” She said motioning to the crown.

“We found it in the backyard when we came to clean up.” Reborn said simply. “Xanxus was going to give it to you anyway. Apparently, you earned this one.”

“Haru earned a migraine.” She countered making him chuckle.

“I already talked to Dame-Tsuna and Kyoko-chan. Your threat still stands, and I’ll even help hold him down if you want.” Reborn said somewhat seriously. “Don’t be surprised if both try to apologize.”

Haru sighed and nodded.

Reborn then smirked, “So?”

Haru almost groaned before sitting down.

“Haru had just gotten off from working a double shift…”

After Reborn left, Haru enjoyed a few days of vacation. Tsuna and Kyoko did apologize. But things once again evened out and Haru could put the incident behind her.

She was positive this was the last crown she’d get from him at least.


	6. Flirting with Danger

The sixth time she stole his crown, it was all Fran’s fault. Normally she liked the Mist child who was more like her partner in crime. But she suspected he was now conspiring with Chrome behind her back.

“You dare?” She hissed at the boy.

“I dare, nee-chan.” Fran said with a smirk. “Either you prove your skills or forfeit our bet.”

“I didn’t agree.” She said wanting to hit him. But Haru couldn’t hit a child, no matter how much they deserved it.

“We shook on it.”

“You grabbed my hand and forced the handshake.”

“Still valid. Either you prove your skill, or I will expose the flower fairy for the fairy queen she is.”

Haru suspected he was getting bored of the Varia’s attempts to recruit him. It was the only explanation she had as to why the ridiculous bet was made in the first place. It had nothing to do with her insulting his skills as an illusionist.

It all started on a dreary Monday, two months after the incident at her house. She had learned from Reborn-chan that Belphegor was quick to recover from the incident thanks to Lussuria’s Sun Flames. She got a whole lesson on the Activation property and how it could be used to speed up the healing process.

On an academic level she was intrigued. On a personal level she was cringing and looking for the nearest place to hide. She didn’t want to see the Storm Prince in her backyard so soon after she dispatched him.

But it couldn’t be helped. She was after all preparing one of the buildings at Kokuyo Land for Verde to move a lab in. She didn’t care how much Mukuro whined, she bought the place and just because she was letting Chrome and her friends stay there for free didn’t mean he owned it.

He also didn’t own her, no matter his opinion on the matter.

Belphegor showed up right in the middle of her hanging from the rafters fixing the lights and nearly caused her to fall to the ground in shock. His saunter was a bit strained form his wounds still but nothing a little time couldn’t mend. Despite that, his attitude was no different than it was when she found him on her doorstep.

He had left, Fran-less and luckily without violence. That should have been the end of it. She would like to go on record and say it was the end of it.

Until she made an offhanded comment about Fran’s illusions.

Thus, began the ridiculous bet. A challenge of her skills. A dare that she swore she would never seek out again.

Fran bet her she couldn’t steal Belphegor’s crown by flirting with him.

A part of Haru curled up and died. Under any other circumstances she would have laughed off the bet and told Fran to do his worse. But with the Varia lurking about she didn’t want too many of her secrets being aired.

She had this nagging feeling that the alcohol and crowns were some weird courting thing between her and the assassin group. She wasn’t sure what their end goal was. But she knew she didn’t want to find out anytime soon.

She was busy enough without adding a group of psychotic men-children to her list of priorities.

It didn’t help that her minion and sometimes partner-in-crime knew a select handful of secrets Haru kept from even Tsuna and Kyoko. She knew she would rue the day he jumped on the Stolen Crown Bandwagon. Yes, it needs capitals, shut up, Haru was perfectly sane.

So, all of that led her to this moment. She was dressed in a cute outfit as she eyed Tsuna’s house from across the street. She knew Belphegor was in there with a few of the others.

She wished he would just do her the favor of going off somewhere to die peacefully, probably in a bloodbath.

Taking a fortifying breath, she straightened herself up and skipped off to her doom. It wasn’t odd for her to drop in unannounced or even forgo knocking. She often drifted in and out as she pleased and Tsuna had grown accustomed to that.

She was only slightly surprised that as soon as she crossed the threshold, someone grabbed her arm and dragged her into the kitchen before she could announce her arrival.

“Stupid woman! What are you doing here?! Do you know who’s here?”

Haru felt her eyebrow twitch as Gokudera practically shoved her towards the back door.

“Hurry, if you’re quiet you can sneak out the back without him seeing you!”

“Bakadera.” She rolled her eyes. “Haru isn’t the one that’s yelling, desu. Have those bombs finally destroyed your hearing?”

“Ushihi, Kitsune.” And suddenly her other arm was caught. “Just what are you doing? You’re not sneaking off without first greeting the prince, are you?”

“Haru is in the process of being ejected out the back door, Belphegor-san. Please unhand Haru so she can make her dramatic exit safely, desu.” Haru said deciding why not.

“Ejecting? Peasant, why are you throwing Kitsune out with the rest of the trash?” Belphegor said suddenly glare at Gokudera over her head.

“Hahi! If you’re going to argue please let Haru go. She doesn’t want her cute outfit ruined.” Haru said tugging at her arms. “Haru is going to go see what the children are doing.”

That surprisingly got the two Storms to let her go. She made a point of skipping off to the living room where she could hear most of the commotion. She wasn’t surprised to see Fran among the guests or that he slid up to her.

“Where did the fake prince go?” Fran said with a frown.

“He is having an argument with Bakadera.” Haru said dismissively with a wave. “Once those two finish flirting they should be back here bothering Haru, desu. That seems to be the only thing they know how to do.”

“Haru-chan!” Tsuna cut in sounding surprised. “What are you doing here?”

From the way his eyes shifted back and forth, Haru figured he was unaware that Belphegor already knew she was at his house. Regardless she did have another reason to see Tsuna. She did however think she should let the boy know his kitchen was in danger of becoming a war zone.

“Haru has a favor to ask, desu. But Bakadera and Belphegor-san are arguing in the kitchen…” She trailed off as Tsuna squealed and raced through the door towards the impending disaster.

“Ha! That should teach the little maggot!” A voice boomed next to her and she just about jumped with a hiss. She glared at the tall brick of a man she knew in passing as Levi.

“Mou, I refuse to pay for any damages.” A softer voice said, and she soon had Mammon hovering by her side. The Mist Arcobaleno looked to be the size of an eight-year-old now, much like Reborn.

“So, what’s this favor you need to ask the baby trash?” A third voice asked, and she turned to realize she was somehow stuck in the middle of the other Varia members currently occupying Tsuna’s living room.

“Haru doesn’t need to tell you, desu.” She said crossing her arms.

He snorted at her before smirking. “Then how are you going to be stealing the trash’s crown this time?”

“Hahi! Haru doesn’t plan on stealing anything.” She said tightening her arms and puffing up her cheeks in annoyance.

“I dared the flower fairy to distract the fake prince long enough by flirting with him to take his crown.” Fran said in that monotone way of his.

Haru felt her fingers twitch to slap the child Mist over the back of the head. But she knew she wouldn’t be able to follow through with the desire. She couldn’t wait until he hit adolescence, then he was free game.

It didn’t help that Levi burst into loud laughter. He was practically bent over as he clutched his stomach. When he pointed at her, she felt her face turn into a blank slate as a cold anger washed over her.

“You… You have to… You have to _flirt_?! What does a little girl like you know about flirting?!”

Her hand shot forward and snagged his. Her fingers easily arranged themselves across the back of his large hand. Then she squeezed her hand into a fist and twisted her wrist hard.

Levi suddenly switched from howling in laughter to howling in pain. She was pretty sure even Yamamoto heard the crunching sound of Levi’s bones breaking under her grip. In fact, she was almost certain judging by the cringe she caught on his face from across the room.

“Pointing is rude, desu.” She drawled coolly before letting the appendage she just mangled go. She crossed her arms again and waited.

“YOU BITCH!”

But Levi’s charge was cut short thanks to Xanxus kicking him in the head. The Lightning Commander fell to the ground in a sprawl and he looked to be blinking tears out of his eyes. She raised an eyebrow at the Varia Sky with a slight frown on her lips.

“I don’t need you breaking another of my commanders, trash.” Xanxus said as way of an explanation.

“Mou, they are already gossiping at HQ about how Belphegor ended up in a full body cast.” Mammon said with a frown. “They wouldn’t take us seriously if Levi returned home in one as well. The subordinates know we’re here visiting the Decimo.”

“So how are you going to explain his hand in a cast?” Fran asked tilting his head. “Nee-chan must have broken most if not all his metacarpals.”

“Three.” Haru said getting a blink. “Haru felt only three of his metacarpals break. Metacarpals three and four were undamaged but one, two and five are snapped.”

Fran gave a slight cringe to that. “You’re scary nee-chan. How do you even know the designation for metacarpals anyway?”

Haru shrugged. “Haru had to take anatomy in school. That and Haru has broken her hand before in gymnastics. She misjudged a flip and came down at an awkward angle.”

Xanxus snorted. “It doesn’t matter, trash.”

“Yamamoto-kun, save Haru from the Varia.” Haru said turning to Yamamoto with a pout.

He gave her a soft chuckle. “You seem to be handling them just fine, Haru-chan.”

“Haru would like her sanity to remain intact.” Haru said skipping over and flopping down into Yamamoto’s lap. “It’s bad enough Haru has to deal with Belphegor-san.”

Yamamoto was such a sweet friend. He let her hug him and pout into his chest. She just had to ignore the near silent chuckles he gave off as he wrapped her up in a hug.

“OI! What do you think you’re doing baseball freak?!” Gokudera exclaimed as he came into the room looking no worse for the wear.

“Ushishishi! What happen to you, ungrateful peasant?” Belphegor asked sauntering over to nudge Levi with his foot. “Did you fall down?”

“Nee-chan broke his hand and the leader of the tooth decaying fungi kicked him when he tried to retaliate.” Fran supplied. “Not that you would care, sempai.”

“You’re right, peasant. The Prince doesn’t.” Belphegor said meanwhile Haru snuggled into Yamamoto as Gokudera loomed.

“Go away Bakadera.” Haru huffed. “Haru is being comforted, desu.”

“You stupid woman, what are you even doing here?! I know you knew the Varia were in town. Fran even said you didn’t get into a fight with Belphegor a few days ago when you were at Kokuyo Land. What were you even doing at Kokuyo Land?”

Haru rested her forehead on Yamamoto’s shouldered and sighed. She could feel the Rain gently pat her hair as he shook with silent laughter. Really, only Yamamoto and Hibari were worth the effort of staying friends with these maniacs in her opinion.

Luckily it was around that time Reborn popped in to corral whatever meeting was supposed to be taking place. Haru honestly didn’t pay much attention outside of noting a new mafia family was trying to hedge in on Vongola territory. Xanxus was also there to try and get Tsuna to promise more autonomy for the Varia.

Partway through the meeting, Yamamoto was elected to go get drinks. So Haru found herself hoisted up only to be set back down on the chair Yamamoto had been sitting in. She gave a displeased huffed and crossed her arms at that.

She had a sneaky suspicion the reason Reborn ordered the Rain away was because he heard about the whole flirting dare.

She was also unsurprised that Belphegor took that moment to steal Yamamoto’s chair. She tensed as she was swept up and sat back down as the Storm got comfortable with her in his lap. The worst part was he seemed to know she was uncomfortable and actually chuckled at her.

“What are you doing, desu?” She hissed at him quietly.

He wrapped his arms around her looking far too pleased. “The Prince wanted to sit down.”

“There are other chairs.” She pointed out because Nana had recently added more furniture to her once sparse living room.

“What’s the matter, Kitsune? The Prince thought you would be pleased to have a chance to flirt with him.” Belphegor said with a grin.

“What makes you think that?” She really wanted to do more than break Levi’s hand now.

“Isn’t that what the bet is? The Prince heard some of the commotion in here while he was dealing with that bomb brat.” Belphegor said a bit too pleased with himself. “Besides, the Prince is curious. You don’t seem like the type to flirt, Kitsune. And if you do, you’re probably like those giggling school girls.”

Haru knew life hated her. She accepted that fact a long time ago. But sometimes she wished life would do her the favor of hating someone else for a few moments.

Regardless she wasn’t about to back down from a challenge. She hadn’t even counted on Belphegor being ignorant to the bet. It was such a ridiculous and out of character thing for her to do at this point that he would know something was up if he had been ignorant.

“Well, Haru was challenged to flirt with you.” Haru said slowly. “But she doesn’t think the effort is worth it. You don’t appeal to Haru.”

“Oh really?” He asked sounding slightly offended by that.

She gave a slow smile as she propped her hands on his shoulder and rested her chin there cutely. She blinked large eyes at him, doing her best to remain as innocent looking as possible. If she had to go through with this, she wasn’t going to go easy on him.

“Really.” She said sweetly with a hint of a giggle to her voice. “And there’s nothing you can really say that could convince Haru otherwise.”

“Why would the prince need to convince you? He’s a prince. That should be enough.” Belphegor almost snapped making her give a delicate snort.

“The prince of where exactly?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. “Haru knows you have a crown but has yet to see any form of royal upbringing outside of your arrogance.”

“The prince comes form a kingdom in the Carpathians.” Belphegor defended making her raise an eyebrow and hum. That was all the prompt he needed to quietly expound on his kingdom. He never gave her a name, but she learned the two major industries were mining and agriculture as well as other things including the bloody history of the monarchy.

She found it oddly fascinating that he was so proud of his kingdom. She knew he was proud of his heritage but the way he spoke of the peasants also had a measure of pride to it. She asked pointed questions, steering him away from talking about his twin brother since he wouldn’t be focused on her if he went down that route.

Part way through his explanation about how they exported some of the finest wool, she pressed closer to him. She rolled her hips in such a way that she was practically draped on his shoulder like a sash. She could feel him shift just a bit as she asked about the textiles the kingdom produced.

She was pretty sure no one really cared about asking about his kingdom. The way he seemed to almost relish in telling her about how they had some of the finest linen outside of France said a lot. She also noticed that the less he spoke about the actual monarchy the more he relaxed.

Despite keeping most of her attention on him, she also kept an ear on the conversation around them. She could feel the brushing gaze of eyes sweeping over to them ever so often. Clearly the others were all curious about whether she was going to go flirting with the prince to get the crown.

Silly boys, Haru thought, a woman’s charms aren’t all about offering herself up on a silver platter.

She made a few calculated shifts throughout the history lesson Belphegor was quietly giving her. Nothing that seemed overly noticeable past the fact that she was getting more comfortable as he continued. Neither Belphegor nor their audience realized the shifting made her rub slowly against the prince’s lap or how her hands migrated from just his shoulder to around his neck as she idly began playing with the tips of his hair.

“But, aren’t you supposed to be flirting with me?” Belphegor finally asked as he wound down from telling her all about how gorgeous the mountains near his family’s summer castle were.

Haru had trouble fighting down a smile as she leaned over to his ear.

“I don’t need to make a fool of myself to flirt with you, little prince.” She purred low as she shifted her shoulder just so to hide her what she was saying. “I just have to let you in on a little secret.”

She could feel the muscles of his neck tense slightly before quivering.

“Oh?” His voice was suddenly a few octaves lower and almost breathless.

“When I told Lussuria how I stole your crown in that hotel.” She began her hand drifting through his hair almost playfully. “I forgot to mention I was wearing night vision goggles.”

He sucked in a breath and went utterly still. She didn’t waste the opportunity to skillfully unsecured the crown, a task that was becoming far to familiar to her, and slip it from his head. She could almost feel his heartbeat kick up in his chest with how close they were.

So, she did the sensible thing.

She slipped out of his grasp and lap with a giggle. A glance before she turned away from him showed his pale skin was flushed as his jaw hung open. She happily skipped over to Fran, twirling the crown around one of her finger.

“Here you go, Fran-chan.” She said placing the crown on the apple hood a bit pleased with herself. “Haru wins, desu.”

“Nee-chan?” Fran asked, and she noticed he turned to look at Belphegor. “How’d you break the fake prince?”

“It’s a secret.” She said teasingly with a grin. She put her hands on her hips and looked over her shoulder.

Belphegor was still flushed as red as a tomato and he was slouching in the chair. He had one hand covering his mouth and chin as he stared at her. No doubt he was slowly coming out of his shock, but he seemed rather confused on how to process what just happened.

She turned back to the others finding them looking at her curiously.

She clapped her hands happily. “Now that’s over with, desu. Haru can focus on the real reason she came over.”

“And what’s that?” Reborn asked making her smile.

“Haru was wondering if Tsuna-san or Bakadera will be busy in a few weeks.” She said getting a hum from Yamamoto who perked up.

“You still haven’t found someone to go with you?” He asked looking at her concerned.

“Ryohei-nii is busy with the boxing club. Kyo-Kyo did agree however he apparently had something come up, so he can’t. Haru even asked Mukuro-san but the Kokuyo Gang are busy with a new arrival and they landed some big job, so he had to decline as well. If Tsuna-san or Bakadera are busy than Haru will just have to ask one of her acquaintances.”

“Busy for what?” Gokudera asked gruffly.

“Haru was invited to an academia convention. It lasts a full week and there will be two gala events she has to attend. She has been encouraged to bring a plus one, but so far she hasn’t had much luck.” Haru said with a shrug.

“Hm.” Reborn said before shaking his head. “I’m sorry but I believe both Dame-Tsuna and Gokudera will be busy with this new threat to the family.”

“Why aren’t you going?” Tsuna asked turning to Yamamoto.

“The school playoffs are coming up soon. I would go but I need to practice.” Yamamoto said with genuine regret.

“Haru understands.” She said with a sorrowful nod. “It’s always hard to turn down free food.”

The Rain laughed making her smile.

“But it’s okay. Haru figured after hearing some of what is going on that Tsuna-san and Bakadera would be busy.” She said with a shrug before she pulled out her cellphone.

“Who are you going to call?” Reborn asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Perhaps the one acquaintance of Haru’s that will be able to attend.” Haru said punching in a number noting the time.

She only had to wait two rings before the call was picked up.

A deep smooth voice purred Italian into her ear, “Hello?”

She grinned switching to the language, “Morning Rome.”

“Tokyo, darling, what can I do for you?” Rome asked while she noticed more than a few raised eyebrows.

“I need a tiny favor. I’m going to a convention and need a partner for a few black-tie events. Care to join me?” She asked happily.

“Only if I get to choose your cocktail dress.” He said teasingly with a smile. “Send me the details and I’ll clear my schedule.”

“Thanks a bunch. I’ll E-mail you the details as soon as I can get to a computer. See you then.” She said almost bouncing on her toes. She liked Rome and he hadn’t turned her down yet.

“I’ll see you soon. Stay out of trouble in the meantime, Tokyo. I know you.” He said before hanging up.

“Uh, Haru.” Tsuna said making her blink and hum at him. “Since when do you speak Italian?”

“Oh!” She grinned switching back to Japanese. “Haru learned to help Lambo-chan better understand Japanese. She also knows Mandarin Chinese because of I-Pin-chan. Because Haru babysits the two the most she figured it best to know, desu.”

“Who’s Rome?” Reborn asked with a frown.

“An acquaintance Haru met through one of the clubs she’s part of.” Haru said with a smile.

“And he’ll fly to Japan just to go to a convention with you?” Fran asked with a frown.

“Haru never said the convention was in Japan.” She said shaking her head. “It’s actually going to be in Italy, very near where Rome lives. Otherwise Haru would not have called and asked him.”

She was oddly pleased by how they all gaped at her.

“Well, Haru has more things to do today. See you all later.” She said giving them a wave and sauntering out of the house.

She was unsurprised when Reborn showed up at her doorstep with a crown and a bottle of Absinthe.

“Does Haru want to know?” She asked with a bit of a sigh.

“Fran used an illusion to trick Belphegor into thinking he got his crown back. However, I doubt the prince would have noticed either way.” Reborn said with a frown. “What did you say to him?”

“Like Haru told Fran, that’s a secret.” She said with a bit of a smirk.

“Haru, about your convention in Italy.” Reborn said making her roll her eyes.

“She will be fine. She checked the hotel the convention is paying for and even made sure she would have a way home in case of an emergency.” She said with a smile.

“Are you sure?” Reborn said with a frown.

“Haru is sure.” She said shaking her head.

She knew Reborn left unconvinced. But that was hardly her problem. She did try to ask them to come with her after all.


	7. Just Holding On To It

The seventh time she stole his crown, she was pretty sure no one would know she was the one to take it. Simply put, this time she actually set it aside for safe keeping when he was wheeled through the door while she was on shift. She was just surprised to see him in Namimori since she was pretty sure he wasn’t supposed to be there.

It was a rare quiet evening at the hospital. She had just gotten back from her trip to Italy and was set for a few days of mundane routine. That meant after Sayuri finished with her clubs, the two sat down with Hotaru and Hikaru for a quite meal before Haru had to head off for work.

It had been a long hectic few years to get her to this point. She didn’t even know how she studied so hard to get into the accelerated programs necessary to get her into medical school. She was actually rather glad her friends thought she was slaving through high school as she took more medical classes than someone ought to.

But all that hard work was paying off. She was a few months away from finishing her internship to become a full fledged member of the Namimori Hospital Staff. She couldn’t wait for the day she was officially cleared to be the nighttime emergency surgeon.

Until then she had to work with Morimoto-sensei. A kindly old man who was still rather spry for being in his seventies. But surgeries were starting to slip from him as his arthritis started creeping up.

He now mostly hovered over her shoulder to observe her work rather than take on all the surgeries for himself. Outside of the occasional rush where both surgeons needed to be working in the two surgical suites, her days were spent with her mentor. She knew he saw her as a shining star, as she worked diligently to make the grade.

She needed the job.

Her trust fund wouldn’t last too much longer and there was only so much inside trading she could pull off without rousing suspicion. She was just glad that Verde was going to be paying rent for his space in Kokuyo Land, otherwise she might have to insist Chrome start paying. Not that the girl hadn’t tried to pay rent for her and the rest of the Kokuyo Gang after finding out Haru bought the place.

She also had mouths to feed.

But back to Belphegor. Like she said, it was a quiet day at the hospital. Haru was secretly acquiring the medical documents of her friends when the ambulance radio crackled to life.

“We have one victim. Male. Early twenties. Gun shot wounds to his torso. Unresponsive. Currently stable.” The list went on as she listened.

“Honda-san, prepare bed four, get me the portable x-ray machine…” Haru didn’t need to think to much as her mouth moved through the list of equipment she would need. The nurse was already moving, grabbing another to run and get some blood for their patient who undoubtedly would need it.

The rush Haru was feeling made her tingle from her toes all the way to her head. It was oddly like the feeling she got when she faced down Hibari in a spar. An adrenaline shot that made her mind sharpen into focus and her heart to stutter despite a wave of calm that washed over her.

While she had always wanted to be a fashion designer growing up. Haru found the rush of being in emergency medicine appealed to something almost primal in her. Like the motherly instincts she had for children coupled with her secret adrenaline junky to give birth to the ultimate high.

Even as the paramedic wheeled in her latest patient she never broke from her professional focused.

“We suspect a possible mugging.” The man said as they continued to bag their patient who had trouble breathing on his own. A suspected collapsing lung.

She didn’t even really get a good look at the man as she went through the list of procedures that were drilled into her head. But as they were prepping him for surgery she almost did a double-take. She had known he was a foreigner, but she hadn’t suspected she knew him.

As the nurse was cutting away his clothes, Haru quietly slipped her gloved fingers through the blonde tresses she knew were silken soft. Nimble fingers snagged out all the bobby-pins to unsecured the crown on his head. She almost didn’t even want to brush his hair aside to check his pupils.

It seemed oddly wrong to cross that line.

But she also was supposed to be ignorant of who her patient was. So, with a silent apology to him, she pushed aside his fringe and lifted his eyelids. His eyes were surprising.

She had always had some silly idea that his eyes would be as red as the blood he loved to spill.

But what greeted her were a set of hazel eyes. Royal purply blue with flecks of pure gold swimming along the irises. Like someone had taken a still photo of a bursting firework and placed them there.

She forced herself to push aside her poetic musings to focus on the task at hand. His pupils weren’t blown and despite being unfocused reacted naturally to her shining a light in them. It suggested his state of unconscious was more due to blood loss than a concussion or foreign substance, be it drugs or poison.

She slipped the crown into the large pocket of her white doctor’s coat. While she normally wore scrubs around the emergency room, she kept the coat on while working in her office. The fact that this emergency made her forget to take it off as she rushed to get ready for her patient was in hindsight a godsend.

She knew a few of the hospital staff had sticky fingers. Hibari was encouraging her to put them in their place once she was out of training. She was already buying up the majority of shares, so she could oust the rather egotistical hospital head when her career no longer depended on his opinion.

In all it was surprisingly routine, despite how rare gunshot wounds were in Japan. She was glad that his Storm Flames didn’t disintegrate the bullets, so they showed up on the x-rays. She didn’t know how she would spin that since he had so few exit wounds.

She had him in and out of surgery in less than six hours. He was still unconscious but expected to make a full recovery as he was wheeled off to intensive care. It was only two hours later that she got to sit down in her office.

She was surprised to notice her hands shaking.

It had never happened before, even after her first unsupervised surgery. She checked the crown that was still in her pocket and took a breath. She had gone into medicine for her friends after all, for that one day when she was all they had to rely on to make sure they lived to see another day.

She didn’t need all the accolades and praises for being considered a genius. Anyone with a sharp mind and focused drive could accomplish what she had up until that point. Even if she had to admit no one would be sane enough to cram nearly eight years’ worth of medical training into nearly two.

She had Morimoto-sensei check in on him when she heard he woke up. She doubted he would appreciate seeing her while being in such a vulnerable position. And she was unsurprised when the next day she came in, both Belphegor and his medical file were missing.

She was even more unsurprised when Reborn didn’t show up with another bottle of alcohol and demand to hear how she got another crown. Instead she tucked the crown away with the rest and decided for the first time since her father died to have a drink. She however pointedly ignored the bottles of alcohol Xanxus had given her.

She was still not convinced they weren’t poisoned.


	8. Haru-Ninja To The Rescue, Maybe

The eighth time she stole his crown, she was dressed as Kitana from Mortal Kombat. What was worse was she was dressed as Kitana on a rescue mission to save Tsuna and his friends. She decided right then the kami were laughing at her.

She had originally dressed up as Kitana for the local cosplay convention. She chose the new Mortal Kombat X Kitana with the almost samurai inspired outfit. She had worked on it for months actually, going from the advertising pictures before the game release all the way up until the game went live.

She carefully scrutinized all the metal plates, the golden neck-gear, and even the hair pieces. She didn’t even do anything in halves, using a workroom in Kokuyo Land to carve each piece in bee’s wax before casting the negatives in clay. She then poured molten gold and steel into the molds, so she had them just right.

Just the careful filing and polishing alone took about a week to complete.

She carefully cut and sewed the entire outfit, so it was as true to life as possible. The only downside being that she had to carefully apply some special effects makeup to cover up the scars she had that would be visible in the scantily clad costume. Luckily, she only needed to sew in some of the hair extensions she already owned but that still meant the intricate hairstyle to no less than two hours to complete.

She was determined to win best costume. And she did.

But she had left the real bladed fans in her bag. Security at the convention could overlook the real steel armor with only a raised eyebrow. She doubted they would be as forgiving if she brought out fans made with very sharp real steel blades.

She was however she had the metal fans when her phone rang after packing up her stuff for the convention.

“Moshi-Moshi.”

“Onee-chan,” Sayuri’s voice sounded slightly strained, “I just got a call from Megumi-chan. Sawada’s house was attacked by foreign entities ten minutes ago. All the occupants were dragged from the house after being gassed with something. She’s currently tracking the vehicle they are in from a safe distance.”

Haru had nearly dropped her bag before standing up straight. Her voice changing from the normal perky tone to a cold commanding one. She also shouldered her bag and began marching out the door on a mission.

“Does she have the tracker in her phone active?”

“She’s live on our app and awaiting instruction.”

Haru had left the convention center disregarding the fact that she was still in full costume. Instead she smirked to herself as she made sure the blue silk fabric of her face mask was securely in place. Then she stuck her phone on the mount of her car’s dashboard and opened the personal tracking app she had spent three months and countless sleepless nights perfecting.

It took her an hour and a half to make it to the temporary base of the people who kidnapped her friends.

She was also rather bemused as she only had to wait five more minutes for Hibari to show up. He hadn’t even batted an eye as he saw her in costume. Instead he snorted at her.

“Please tell me those fans are at least real, Maboroshi.” He said shaking his head at her.

“Real and sharp, Fukakai.” She teased. “Would you like to test them?”

“How about we test them on the crowding herbivores instead.” He said turning to the warehouse they were currently looming over. “Yamamoto Takeshi was among the group captured, correct?”

“If what my information says is true, yes.” She placed her hands on her hips. “Don’t tell Haru that your plan is to simply storm through everyone and see how many bodies we leave in our wake.”

“Body disposal is a bonding experience.” He shot back, and she failed horribly at stifling her laugh.

“Haru misses the days when your sadism hadn’t corrupted her.” She said shaking her head. “Don’t worry, Haru will find their weapons and free the captives. You just don’t go getting shot, desu. Or do we want a repeat of the last time Haru had to dig bullets out of you?”

So, they had jumped down from their perch and stormed the front door. Haru would have liked to be a bit subtler about it. But she had already learned that Hibari was more of a direct approach sort of person.

Haru actually didn’t need to use her fans as Hibari was more than happy to do all the fighting. It helped that within moments of them kicking down the front door Roll had come out to play. Haru was only slightly jealous that Hibari had a cute Flame Animal to help in the fighting.

Instead she focused on locating where the captive’s weapons were and, more importantly, on where the captives were.

She found the weapons haphazardly strewn in a cardboard box. It was at that moment she could tell just who was captured as she recognized more than a few of the items in the box. Most, if not all the rest, of the Vongola gear was present as well as a pair of guns with an X design, a prosthetic arm, a few weird umbrellas, and a set of knives Haru often saw in her nightmares.

Most worrying however was seeing both Leon and Fantasma in cages.

She was careful to keep the two cages on top of the pile as she hoisted up the box. The umbrellas nearly made the whole thing fall from her grasp because of how unbalanced it was. She huffed and wondered why Levi had to chose umbrellas of all things to use as a weapon.

Finding the captives was rather easy from there. She and Hibari had disrupted the group of would be kidnappers before the kidnapped could be moved to a more secure location. She was even more pleased to see that whatever had knocked them all out was wearing off and most were slowly coming around.

“Haru?” Yamamoto asked as she nudged him with his baseball bat. “Is that you?”

“Do you know any one else that would rock a Kitana costume, desu?” She asked with a hidden smirk.

“How are you here?” He said shaking his head as he sat up with a small smile.

“Haru heard someone threw gas bombs into Tsuna-san’s house. She called Kyo-Kyo, and now we’re here.” She said with a shrug.

“Hibari-san is here?” Yamamoto said standing up and looking around.

“He is and Haru quotes, _keeping the invading herbivores busy so you can find the king herbivore and his flock_.” She said making air quotes as she tried to deepen her voice enough to mimic Hibari’s.

Yamamoto laughed making her smile. If Yamamoto’s humor was still intact it meant this was just a minor hiccup to everyone’s day. Haru didn’t like it when the Rain got serious and pulled out his frowny face.

“Trash, why is there a video game character here?” A gruff voice said making her turn.

“Haru was hoping the Varia would remain unconscious.” She said with her hands on her hips. Yamamoto reached an arm around her shoulders and pulled her toward him in a half hug.

“Why don’t you go find Hibari-san and make sure he’s not permanently harmed.”

“Okay.” She turned and bounced out of the room content to let Yamamoto handle things on that end.

By the time Tsuna probably finished his freak out and the group showed up to where the main action was, Haru was back to back with Hibari. She had her metal fans out and was happily keeping their attackers from sneaking up on the Cloud Guardian. The foot-long blades of the fans flashing ominously as they cut arcs through the air.

She didn’t even need to look to know when Hibari was going to shift or turn. She had spent enough time fighting the Cloud to be able to read his movements by sound and feel alone. It made the two of them a near unstoppable force as she kept a step behind Hibari as he knocked another goon out.

It would figure that around that time Tsuna would swoop in and practically force her to the sidelines. From the way Hibari glared at the Sky he was not pleased at all. So much so in fact, Hibari calmly stopped fighting to lean against the wall where Haru was told to go sit on a large wooden crate.

“The king of the herbivores is annoying.” He grumbled making her fight down a giggle.

“He just doesn’t want to see Haru-chan hurt.” Haru said with a shrug.

“Trash! Why did you stop fighting?” Xanxus practically roared upon getting within earshot of her.

“Tsuna-san asked Haru to go sit!” She called back far to cheerily for the situation.

“Mother fucking trash!” Xanxus roared turning to Tsuna who was fighting what was perhaps the leader of the whole kidnapping thing.

Haru hoped the two would remember to take out their mutual opponent before turning on one another. She had a feeling Xanxus was gearing up for a lecture. She idly wondered if Tsuna would pee his pants during that lecture.

And no, knowing that Xanxus thought she was capable enough to fight her own battles didn’t leave warm fuzzy feelings in her chest.

She had her own network of smart handsome men that knew to worship the ground she walked on. Yamamoto and Hibari being her two most devote followers. There was a reason neither seemed to really care what messes she landed herself in, if she remembered to call them if their assistance was necessary.

The whole event was over well before dinnertime. As for Haru, she bounced off her crate and began the process of cleaning up the mess left behind. She even remembered to bring her disposable Hazmat suit with her.

“Hm,” she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise, “the Prince prefers you in that fighting costume, Kitsune. The bio-hazard suit doesn’t show off your curves quite right.”

“Haru is a goddess no matter what she wears, desu.” She said putting her hands on her hips. “Besides, Haru spent a lot of time and effort creating her Kitana outfit. She will not let some goons ruin her hard work by bleeding all over it.”

“You created that outfit?” Belphegor asked sliding into her personal space. “My, how impressive, Kitsune.”

“What do you want, Belphegor-san? Haru is busy.” She said with a sigh knowing he wouldn’t leave her alone until she gave him at least some attention.

“Can’t the Prince admire your beauty?” He asked almost innocently. She had the inexplicable desire to punch him in the jaw.

“Sometimes it’s better to admire beauty at a distance, Belphegor-san.” She said instead with a dismissive way. “Now shoo. Haru has bodies to move, desu.”

There was something pinched to his sudden frown as he crossed his arms.

“The Prince thinks you are wasted on that ungrateful peasant. You have far more skill than being cosigned to being the help. The Prince saw you fighting alongside the peasant’s Cloud Guardian. You two are surprisingly coordinated with one another.”

“Probably from all our time bonding.” Haru said rolling her eyes. “Because nothing says bonding experience like hiding the bodies.”

“I’ll ensure you are properly fed, Maboroshi.” Hibari said moving up to her as she put a severed arm into the wagon she had for moving the bodies.

“Really?” She asked almost hopeful. “Real food that didn’t come a vending machine? Haru wouldn’t turn down a meal from a love hotel like that time last week.”

There was a strangled choked sound from not only Belphegor but Gokudera as well.

“Love hotel?!”

Hibari snorted. “Yes, and lube will not be involved this time.”

More strangled choking.

“Oh good.” Haru said pleased. “Though they were right. That edible lube really did taste like bacon, pity you didn’t try some.”

“The police costume was enough.” Hibari said with a pointed glare that only caused Haru to grin.

“But you make a sexy policeman.” She all but purred with her hands clasped under her chin. “What about a sexy fireman outfit? Haru thinks you could totally rock suspenders.”

“Now wait a minute!” Gokudera cut in.

Haru took that as her moment to grab her wagon and move on to the next fallen opponent strewn across the room. She could hear Gokudera screaming himself hoarse at a rather unimpressed Hibari. She had to stifle a laugh as she began humming to herself.

After the majority of the clean up had been finished, Haru took the time for one good sweep of the place. Hibari’s minions were the ones to take the truck of dead or soon to be very dead opponents away. She just had to help pile them all up in the back of the moving van they had brought with them.

She was surprised as she made her sweep only to find a discarded crown in the area where she had found the weapons. She was sure Belphegor was wearing his crown when he had come up to her. But then again, she was more intent on watching where his hands were because there was as still a chance he’d go for his knives.

The crown was no different than the others she had. So, she picked it up and placed it on her head for safe keeping. Only to realize the Varia had left before she could hand over the crown to Belphegor.

She did the sensible thing by calling Mammon. The Arcobaleno Mist of course withheld any information unless Belphegor was willing to pay. Haru wasn’t about to pay to get an address either, so the crown remained in her possession.

She returned after her meal with Hibari to find Reborn on her step with a bottle of tequila.

“Xanxus-san has to know Haru-chan is not old enough to drink by now.” She said rolling her eyes as she let him in.

“He knows.” Reborn said simply. “He’s waiting to see if you will give into temptation and drink some.”

“So, it _is_ poisoned.” She said eyes bright.

“No.” Reborn shot down her hopes and dreams so calmly. “But he knows eventually Belphegor may drive you to a glass or two.”

“Haru has more patience than that.” She said with a sniff. “Anything else I can help you with, Reborn-chan?”

“Are you sleeping with Hibari?” Reborn asked eyeing her making her scoff.

“Hardly. Kyo-Kyo and Haru had to lay low for a night after a spar gone a bit out of hand. The love hotel was just convenient, served real food, and had a plethora of fun ways for the two of us to play truth or dare with our clothes on. If Kyo-Kyo has any inclination towards Haru, he’s never hinted or acted on it.” Haru said with a smirk as she crossed her arms.

“Bonding experience, indeed.” Reborn said lowering his fedora and smirking. “I’m glad to see you two are getting along at least.”

“We do more than trying to see how far we can drive each other’s skulls into the pavement. Just like Haru and Yamamoto-kun who invited Haru to go with him and his father on a ski trip in a few weeks.”

“I’m sure the family is looking forward to it.” Reborn said perking up slightly. “Have a good evening Haru.”

“You too, Reborn-chan.”

And just like that he left. She frowned but figured the promise of a ski trip was more prominent on his mind. He had been trying harder to flesh out her secrets ever since she called Rome after all.


	9. Snowbound

The ninth time she stole his crown, she didn’t exactly steal it. She didn’t even come into possession of it due to some bizarre circumstance. The ninth time, he outright gave her his crown.

Yes, it blew her mind as well.

It started, unsurprisingly, at the weekend getaway she and Yamamoto planned. The Rain had planned on inviting Tsuna and the others as well, so her telling Reborn was just a good heads up. Besides, after the busy year they all had, going off for a weekend to celebrate the upcoming holidays was just nice.

Then again everyone had plans for the holidays. Haru herself was planning to stay home with Hotaru and Hikaru. She even offered Sayuri a chance to go out of town to visit the few living relatives the high schooler still had.

Sayuri turned her down claiming the Miura household were her family now.

But, that being said, Haru was determined to enjoy the little get away. She couldn’t really ski to save her life, but she had more than enough balance to shred a mountain on a snowboard. She knew Tsuna just about had a heart attack the first time Haru took one of the larger jumps and flipped through the air.

She stuck the landing and reveled in the cheers from a few nearby skiers.

She managed twenty more increasingly death defying acrobatics before Yamamoto was elected to get her to stop. She of course pouted accordingly and was only appeased a few minutes later by the promise of hot chocolate. She still wasn’t sure why Tsuna was so up on her safety anyway.

She had a funny feeling it was a misogynistic thing he inherited from Reborn.

She didn’t care how much Kyoko argued Reborn was not Tsuna’s father or in anyway related to him. There was something called osmosis in the world as well. It worked similarly to how teachers tended to impart life lessons on their students and students adopting those lessons as character traits.

Yes, she’s aware that wasn’t the definition of osmosis. But it got Kyoko to leave Haru and her beliefs alone. Though she suspected Kyoko didn’t even bother to look up what osmosis was anyway.

Simply put, Haru was having a blast.

So, as it seemed to be her new normal, she was unsurprised when her good time went sideways. It started with the Varia showing up to get in on the ski vacation. Then culminated with Reborn mentioning some hot springs hallway on the other side of the mountain.

Both Haru and Hibari were outvoted on the staying at the cozy resort option.

Haru was especially displeased, and she was sure Hibari was as well, that the two were dragged along with the rest to said hot springs. Not that the natural springs were displeasing, there wasn’t even any wildlife around because the springs were encased in a small bath house. But the thought of trekking half a day to hot springs then having to trek back was not what she thought of as fun.

She would rather try to figure out how to do a double back-flip off a snowboarding jump.

Then, because the Kami seemed intent on trolling her, they ran into a snowstorm on the way back. She wasn’t even sure how the group got so separated. But Haru was cold and cursing Reborn to the ends of the universe and back when she stumbled upon a set of cabins.

She knew from the mountain map that the cabins were there. They functioned as woodland retreats in the summertime. In fact, she had been aiming for the cluster of ten cabins when she looked around to find everyone gone in a sea of white.

Okay, so she first had to run into a weird rock landmark that was shaped like a Kappa, but still. She had listened to her shishou when he gave her all those wilderness survival lessons out of boredom. With how crazy Reborn was, she was expecting to have gotten lost in the woods a lot sooner than this little incident.

She went up to one of the first cabins that looked like it wouldn’t get damaged and tried the door. Of course, it was locked, but a quick inspection of the doorknob made her sigh in relief. She pulled out what looked like a Swiss Army Knife but instead of the usual knife, can opener, and other survival implements, there was a set of lock-picks.

It even came with a set of detachable L-Wrenches that she fumbled with to help her turn the lock.

It took her a few minutes because her gloves were bulky, and her fingers were numb. She didn’t mind that her teeth were chattering as she shouldered her way through the now unlocked door. The inside was still in comparison to the howling winds of the storm.

She slipped her lock-pick set back into a pocket of her snow pants and pulled out a small pen-light. She had to shake the thing a few times so the cold batteries would come to life, but soon she was looking around the cabin. It was a quaint little thing that was surprisingly rather traditional in design.

But she was grateful for the Irori that was a prominent feature in the middle of the open space. There was also a simple screen that sectioned off what was likely supposed to be a bedroom. Aside from a small modern refrigerated tucked off to the side, she would have sworn she had just stumbled back in time.

She was just grateful the floors were made of wood rather than tatami mats.

She shuffled further into the cold darkened area intent on finding some wood she knew had to be stored in the place. After opening a few cupboards, she not only found a good stack of wood, but a few cushions and several rather thick but very dusty blankets. It didn’t take her long at all to stack the wood properly, add some wood shavings and a few bits of paper, and pull out a small flint lock from her boot to start said fire.

She also opened a small vent to help get rid of the smoke without letting the winter storm in.

Then she stripped herself of her rather damp winter gear and bundled herself up to get warm. The fire crackled away steadily heating the small space. She didn’t think there would be any food around, but she had a few granola bars she kept in case Lambo or I-Pin needed a snack.

She hoped the kids were okay. She had been with them and Kyoko just before the storm really kicked up. Luckily, she had the foresight to tie their jackets up with Kyoko’s who insisted on watching them since Haru watched them on the way to the springs.

She just about started feeling her fingertips again when the door slammed open.

“V-Voi!”

She glared from her blanket cocoon.

“First, shut up, desu. Second, shut the door before the winds put the fire out!” She hissed at the man standing in the doorway.

“How’d you get here?” Squalo asked somewhat lower in volume than his usual screaming. Haru suspected he tended to talk with his diaphragm, much like how singers used it to belt out songs.

“Haru nearly face planted into the stone kappa, desu.” She said pulling her blankets closer to her.

“D-Damn it shitty shark, move!”

Haru looked down unimpressed as Squalo landed face first onto the wood floor. A few seconds later a certain Storm Prince nearly tumbled into the cabin after him. Belphegor was cursing up a storm as he shut the door and secured it.

“The Prince will not die of hypothermia because you can’t walk through a door.” He snapped as his teeth chattered from the cold.

He turned and Haru clutched her blankets closer to herself. She would rather be stabbed than give up her cocoon of warmth. If either of them thought she was sharing they were delusional.

“Kitsune!” He almost cheered and practically pounced on her. “How’d you get here? Better yet, where did you find the prince some blankets?”

“Hahi!” She screeched and lashed out with a kick. “Leave Haru and her blankets alone, desu.”

“That wasn’t very nice.” He said rubbing his jaw where her foot nailed him.

“Like you know what nice is, desu.” She said burrowing further into her blankets.

“So how did you end up here?” Squalo said shrugging off the long winter coat he was wearing. “You said you nearly face-planted into a stone kappa?”

Haru snorted. “If you bothered to look at the map of the mountain trails you would have noticed there’s a large rock that naturally resembles a Kappa. It marks a fork in the trail that leads up to the cabins off the main trail, desu. Haru figured either everyone would show up here or she could at least stay warm until the storm passed.”

“I didn’t notice a landmark like that on the map.” Belphegor said with a frown. “All they really marked were the ski trails.”

Haru rolled her eyes. “There’s another map in the main lobby that marks the summer trails as well. It’s how Reborn-chan found out about the hot springs.”

“Huh,” Belphegor said pausing to perhaps think on that. “So, about those blankets?”

“Haru found them first, desu.” She said glaring at him.

“Oh honestly.” Squalo snapped before she found herself scooped up and plopped down on his lap. “Can you two stop fighting for once? We’re stuck in a cabin in the middle of the woods while a blizzard rages outside. I think you can share at least a blanket, girly.”

Haru thought about it and slipped one of the blankets out from where she had wound them around herself. She tossed it over the Rain because Yamamoto would likely give her his frowny face if he found out she was mean to Squalo. Personally, she didn’t really hate the Varia swordsman all that much either.

He was just a bit too loud at times.

“What about the prince?” Belphegor asked sounding rather offended.

“Squalo-san asked nicely.” Haru shot back getting comfortable once again.

“There was no asking involved.” Belphegor pointed out with his hands on his hips.

“He used his inside voice, explained the situation without being condescending, and didn’t outright demand Haru do anything.” She said with a sniff. “Haru knows manners are lost on the Varia, desu. She figures that’s as close to polite as any of you are going to get.”

Belphegor gaped at her for a long second before throwing his hands up with a growl. As the prince began to pace back and forth ranting about how unbelievably frustrating Haru was, Squalo began laughing. Haru just raised an eyebrow surprised that this time the Storm hadn’t thrown a knife at her.

It took some convincing before Haru reluctantly handed over another of the blankets to the prince. She didn’t really want to, but Squalo gave a convincing argument about how neither of them would want to warm the Storm up if he dropped form hypothermia. Haru was beginning to suspect Squalo had spoken with Yamamoto about her, because some of the convincing sounded eerily like the baseball star.

“What is your problem with Storms anyway?” Squalo asked and she blinked up at him.

“They force Haru to stay inside or risk getting her sick?” She asked getting a snort.

“He didn’t mean the weather.” Belphegor huffed. “Stop being purposely obtuse, Kitsune. We’ve seen how you act around the Hurricane Bomb as well. Reborn says the constant bickering you two have going on has only gotten worse.”

Haru frowned burrowing into her pile of blankets. “Haru just doesn’t like his attitude. He’s called her a stupid woman since we’ve met and has only gotten worse.”

“And your reluctance around Fon?” Squalo asked making her stiffen. “Oh yes, we paid Mammon to figure out why you insist on giving all the Arcobaleno the chan honorific. Turns out aside from Skull who you give the sama honorific, Fon is the only one you still use san for.”

“Skull we can understand since he insists on ridiculously calling himself Skull-sama. But the prince thinks you would at least stick to referring to all the other Arcobaleno with the same honorific.”

Haru suddenly stiffened as she realized she was trapped. She didn’t want to talk about this. But she figured they would spring something like this on her after an hour or two of surprisingly amicable talking.

They hadn’t gotten into anything too personal up at that point. In fact, they were in a rather heated discussion about the Greatest British Baking Show. She didn’t think Squalo would be so anal about Swiss Rolls.

“Haru doesn’t have to tell you.” She said crossing her arms and looking away.

“So, it is personal.” Belphegor said with a grin. “Come on, Kitsune. You can tell us. We won’t tell.”

“Somehow Haru doubts that.” She said with a sniff.

“Honestly, it’s just so the shitty prince will stop moping that you won’t be nice to him because of his Flames.” Squalo said rolling his eyes.

She raised her eyebrow at him. “Haru has other issues with Belphegor-san that have nothing to do with his Flames.”

“Really?” Squalo asked unconvinced.

Haru rolled her eyes and motioned to the Prince. “You can’t tell me this doesn’t have issues. Just look at him. There’s something not right, psychotic even.”

“The Prince will take that as a compliment, Kitsune.” Belphegor said faintly while Squalo snorted.

Haru crossed her arms and gave Squalo a pointed look, like Belphegor had just proven her point.

“In all seriousness though,” Squalo said with a grin, “why the aversion to Storms?”

“Haru got into some trouble with one a while back.” She said relenting reluctantly. “He could channel his Flames in a knife and tried to intimidate her with it. He wanted to know where Tsuna-san and the others lived but Haru wouldn’t tell him. He also didn’t appreciate Yo Mama jokes which is just shameful.”

“Yes, only the most sophisticated could appreciate a good Yo Mama joke.” Belphegor agreed seriously making Squalo sigh and shake his head at them.

“What happened to him?” Squalo said clearly fishing for more.

“Haru eventually got annoyed and defended herself. He won’t bother Haru ever again. But she did get a few scars and Tsuna-san doesn’t like it when we girls get scars.”

Squalo scuffed. “That pathetic boss is far to shallow. I bet the only reason he’s going out with that Sawagawa gal is because she has a cute smile or something. She certainly doesn’t strike me as very intelligent.”

Haru knew she should probably defend her best friend. The defense was right there on the tip of her tongue. But Squalo did have a point about Tsuna choosing Kyoko because of her looks.

Kyoko did have rather average intelligence and knew how to care for a household. But when it came to why Tsuna thought her better it was mostly for her looks. Then again, Haru suspected Tsuna might have some sort of Oedipus complex because she had seen a picture of Nana when the woman was the girls’ age.

The resemblance was eerily uncanny.

The two assassins decided to steer the conversation away after that. She was rather grateful but was still a bit suspicious of them. She didn’t think they would drop something like that so easily.

Eventually they decided that sleep was necessary. The blizzard was still raging outside, and nightfall had come so there was no way they would be leaving anytime soon. Haru had opted out of sleeping in the separated sleeping area for sleeping close to Irori where it was warm.

She wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep before she snapped awake.

She wasn’t even sure what woke her so suddenly. Just one moment she was having a nice dream. The next her world seemed to turn upside down as her mind caught up to her body.

The topsy-turvy motion being her suddenly snagging a wrist as she twisted around in a grappling move. She blinked as in the dull light coming from the windows she found herself straddling Belphegor. One of her hands were gripping his wrist while the other was cutting off his airway.

“Voi!”

She blinked as arms wrapped around her waist and she began getting hoisted off the Storm.

“Come on, let him go.” Squalo’s voice was made deeper by the fact he had obviously just woken up.

Some soothing warmth washed over her, and she almost went limp. She recognized a heavy dose of Rain Flames when she felt it. Yamamoto having used the technique a few times when Hibari and her got out of hand and Kusakabe called him for assistance.

She absently heard Belphegor cough from suddenly having the ability to breathe again.

“THE FUCK?!” Squalo said setting her down lightly and putting himself between the two of them.

She yawned while Belphegor finally got his breathing under control.

“Morning.” She said lamely having no idea how to answer Squalo’s eloquent question of what was going on.

“Don’t touch Kitsune’s back when she’s sleeping.” Belphegor said shaking his head with a grin. “She has a hair trigger defense response.”

“Why were you even near her? We agreed you stay on our side of the irori unless hypothermia was an imminent threat.” Squalo said shaking his head.

“Kitsune kicked off her blankets. The prince was just making sure they wouldn’t catch fire and that she stayed warm.” Belphegor said before tilting his head in her direction. “Though the prince wonders where you got those scars from.”

“Scars?” Squalo asked turning to her.

She crossed her arms and looked away defiantly.

“The Prince couldn’t see them clearly, but he felt a few scars on the right side of her back. They don’t feel like scars you get in an accident.” Belphegor said with a frown.

“You won’t let this go, will you?” Squalo asked with a heavy sigh. “Well girly? Unless you want him bugging you from now until whenever he must go on another job, you might want to spill. What scars are we even talking about?”

Haru shifted a bit self-consciously. She knew she convinced her friends that she had just gotten a bit insecure since making it through most of adolescence. Outside of a few costumes she rarely wore anything that would expose her torso.

She even taken to wearing a swim shirt when they went to the beach.

The others didn’t seem to mind all that much. She had gotten quite the chest since middle school, so they understood. They didn’t know the lengths she went to just to keep her back covered.

“If I tell you, you won’t tell Tsuna, got it.” She said glaring at them. Squalo blinked but Belphegor straightened and gave her a serious nod. With a sigh she turned and lifted the back of her shirt.

Admittedly her shirt and bra strap still covered some of the scars on her shoulders. But for the most part the two got a good view of the wing carved into her back. Intricate feathers sweeping down the flesh on the right side of her spine with a few even curling onto her side near her hip.

She heard Squalo curse while Belphegor remained deathly silent.

“Where’d you get those?!” Squalo snapped and she suddenly had him behind her poking at them. “Fuck! How’d you get them?!”

There was an odd tone to the Varia SIC’s voice. It was like he was both worried and angry at the same time. It was jarring, and she wasn’t sure what she should make of it, so ignored it.

“Like Haru said,” She said covering the scars again and moving to face the two with her arms crossed, “Haru got into some trouble with a Storm a while back.”

“ _Kitsune_.” Belphegor growled with his fist clenched.

She rolled her eyes. “He’s dead already, Belphegor-san. I got angry enough to tear his throat out with my bare hands. After I got free of where they were keeping me, I went to the nearest police car I could find. Long story short, it was ruled self defense and I was the confused innocent victim who had no idea what was going on. Outside of being ordered by the court to see a psychologist to deal with the trauma, Haru got off Scot-free.”

Squalo grabbed her shoulder and held her there as he lifted her shirt again to poke at the scars.

“Just how many times did he cut you when you refused to answer his questions?” Squalo said his grip almost bruising as the finger ghosting against her flesh trembled.

“Uh,” She blinked trying to see him over her shoulder. “Each line was a question Haru didn’t answer.”

“There has to be at least a thousand cuts!” Squalo said throwing up his hands. “Just how long were you being held captive?”

“Four days.” Haru said with a shrug. She had already gotten over most of the trauma thanks to her psychologist. The whole incident had happened nearly two years ago after all.

“You,” Squalo didn’t appear like he was going to get any calmer, “were missing for FOUR fucking days? Did Sawada and his group know?”

“No?” Haru drawled thoughtfully. “The only ones that know about them are Yamamoto-kun and Kyo-Kyo. Yamamoto-kun found out about them a few days after the fact, when he came back from baseball camp. While Kyo-Kyo only found out about them after we began sparring a few months back.”

Yamamoto had done his frowny face for weeks afterwards. He had gotten rather protective of her until she proved she was fine on her own. He was still looking out for her though, which was sweet of him.

Hibari on the other hand was more along the lines of proud of her because of them. He said it proved she was a true carnivore. Still didn’t stop him from patting her head like a small animal though.

“How the fuck do you go missing for four fucking days and no one notices?” Squalo threw up his arms. “No offense but you’re a little hard to forget.”

“Tsuna-san was just starting to go out with Kyoko-chan then. Ryohei-nii was busy with a big national boxing tournament. And Bakadera just doesn’t care if Haru doesn’t show up for a few days. The only time they really start to worry is if the children start asking after Haru, desu.”

Squalo looked like he wanted to say something about that, maybe shout some more. But instead the Rain stared at her with his mouth open before sighing and putting his face in his hands. She could hear a few choice words about his opinion of Tsuna and the others in his muffled breath.

“There, there, Squalo-san.” She said patting his shoulder. “Haru is fine, desu. She’s been cleared of therapy and is living a happy and healthy life. She also took up some self-defense so the chances of there being a next time is marginally smaller.”

“Scars from Storm Flames don’t fade, Kitsune.” Belphegor said with a frown. “The flesh is disintegrated, which makes it hard for the skin to repair itself.”

Haru snorted. “Haru knows, desu. That’s why she wears shirts that cover her back or body paint that helps hide them if she is in a situation shirts aren’t ideal.”

“Please tell me you didn’t have those scars in the future that will never be.” Squalo said with a frown.

Haru smiled. “By the time she got her scars in this timeline she had been going to school with Tsuna-san and the rest. Tsuna-san practically ordered Bakadera to walk her home after school so there was never an opportunity for Vongola’s enemies to try and abduct her.”

“I won’t say that’s good but it’s something.” Squalo said with a sigh. “Anyway, since we’re all up, perhaps we should head back to the resort.”

They quickly tidied up, also erasing the fact they had been there, and headed out. The trio of them made it back to the resort well before the main group who had managed to make it back to the hot spring during the storm. Haru had been enjoying herself outside on the half-pipe when they had trudged in.

For the most part the rest of the weekend was rather pleasant. Squalo did take Yamamoto aside for a chat while Belphegor was set on annoying her until Hibari dragged her off. The two found refuge in an open library at the resort away from the crowds and she got lost in the adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

She was however a bit blindsided to find Belphegor the morning they were all leaving. He didn’t say anything at first as he leaned against the wall near her room door. But she blinked as he walked up to her and plopped his crown right on her head.

“That plebeian fool doesn’t know how truly fortunate he is to have your loyalty, Kitsune.” The prince had grumbled before walking away with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket.

She just stood there stunned before patting the crown on her head to confirm it was really there.

She then shook off the incident and decided she really didn’t have the sanity to try and figure the psychotic prince out. Instead she had more important things like carrying her bag to the car, so she could go home. She would worry about the prince at another time when she could spare the mental trauma for it.

She was again unsurprised that neither Reborn or a bottle of alcohol from Xanxus was waiting for her when she returned home.

She did however find a bottle of the finest imported brandy on the market among her luggage. It hadn’t been there when she was packing. She also had a feeling she knew who it was from as well.


	10. On the Job

The tenth time she stole his crown, it was surprisingly Rome’s fault. Haru knows what anyone would think in this situation. How does Rome, a guy that has no ties to the Vongola outside of knowing Haru, end up being the reason she stole Belphegor’s crown?

It started on a crisp wintry day after the New Year of the Western Calendar. Haru had just finished watching Lambo and I-Pin for Nana when a nondescript blue Honda rolled up to her. She blinked at the car since it looked no different than any other car in the sea of automobiles that washed over the city.

She wondered what her life was that having such a mundane car roll to a stop next to her instantly marked it as suspicious.

She figured the give away was the fact that the window rolled down upon her getting close to it. She didn’t even really want to glance over to see who was about to turn her good day into a bad one. Usually this sort of scenario meant another attempted Kyoko-nabbing, which meant Haru either fighting a large group of goons or running around the city because she was supposedly Tsuna’s girlfriend instead.

“Ciao Tokyo!” The deep voice surprised her even more than the words that flowed into Italian. “Come over here, darling. I got a proposition for you.”

“Rome?” She asked slinking over to the car and peering in through the rolled down window.

Sure enough, Rome sat behind the wheel grinning at her like a cat that just caught a canary. He was a tall handsome Italian in his early to mid-twenties. Short curling black hair rakishly tousled with a set of piercing green hazel eyes behind a pair of dark sunglasses.

Despite the nice black suit and plain white shirt, he looked like he had just walked off the cover of some romance novel.

“Have you ever heard of stranger danger?” She asked in Italian with a grin. “Besides, if you’re looking for company you’re on the wrong side of the city.”

He had laughed and shook his head. “Actually, I was looking for a business partner. Care to chip in?”

“That depends,” She said glancing around and was a bit surprised to see Tsuna and the others making their way down the road, “what’s in it for me?”

“Forty-two thousand and a free trip to some place warm.” He said with a grin.

“Asian or European?” She asked with a frown. “Forty-two thousand isn’t even a week’s worth of good meals.”

“European, darling. Euros to be more precise.” He said making her pause.

Nearly five point seven million yen was a good draw in her opinion. While her money wasn’t exactly tight after the holidays she was always looking for a way to add some extra padding to her nest egg. But with that sort of cash there had to be a catch.

“What’s the catch?” She had to ask.

“Beijing.” Rome said making her freeze for all a second.

Her and Beijing were a mixed bag since they first met. Either they got along, or they were one word away from killing each other. It didn’t help Beijing tended to not so subtly try to get in her pants every chance he got.

“Don’t tell me money is all you got.” She said with a hint of disappointment.

“I wouldn’t do that to you darling.” He said with a roguish grin. “I got Berlin and Moscow on board already. We just need a fifth.”

“When is the airplane leaving?” She decided why not.

“Five hours from now. I can give you a lift to wherever you need to go.” He said unlocking the passenger side door.

Haru sighed before opening the door and stepping in. Rome already knew where she lived and had at least given her some time to make sure her obligations in Namimori were taken care of. She had noticed that only Reborn and Yamamoto seemed to see her getting into the car before Rome sped off.

Along the way she learned they were headed for a job in Malta. She had never been to the tiny island country in the Mediterranean before, but she once saw a few pictures. It looked gorgeous and quaint, which was surprising considering the jobs Rome usually took.

Turns out recently a drug lord was using the small island nation as a stopping point for his smuggling business. With a small army of mercenaries protecting his operations, Haru sighed over how this was exactly like a job Rome would take on. Some days she thought he left the mafia for the mercenary life because the mafia didn’t come with enough explosions for him.

Her role in these jobs was always the same, information and medical support. While she could get her hands dirty if necessary, she wasn’t one of the main fighters. That suited her just fine because it meant she could focus on her actual role.

Or rather, the acting role she was currently cast in.

Years of cosplay and a few acting lessons in drama club had polished her acting skills to a magnificent shine. Rome once joked that Haru could be anyone she wanted and get away with it. She argued she had yet to get the perfect baritone, be it naturally or with some audio software assistance.

It was almost insulting how easily she slipped into place. A few nights at a strip club and she was giggling her way into the mansion of her target. She played the ignorant Asian girl to the letter and didn’t even have to sleep with anyone so long as she wore whatever sexy costume they wanted and played innocent.

By the time the drug she slipped into the men’s drinks took effect they were three sheets to the wind anyway. She doubted any of them would realize that none of them slept with the cute Asian stripper. It was all good for her though as she set to work on the computers she was after.

Three hours and she was catching a taxi to her rundown motel. From the motel she was picked up by Beijing and just about slapped him when he rested his hand just a bit too high on her thigh. The cunning martial artist from China may be handsome but his forward advances were unappreciated.

She happily flipped him onto the nearest table. It just so happened the broken table was also supporting Moscow’s spread of guns. The tall Nordic man with his long dark hair and piercing blue eyes just about put a bullet between Beijing’s eyes for disrupting his carefully plotted organization.

Haru had giggled to herself as she hid behind Berlin.

That was just typical of the group. If the others were about then the casual threats and violence would be ramp up. Adding Seoul into the mix often led to more broken bones than Berlin could heal with her Sun Flames.

The only reason the whole group was semi-cooperative was because of shishou. He helped each of them out and sort of pushed them all together. It oddly worked for how formally informal the whole thing was, even if they often just kept in contact for the occasional favor or job.

The sole reason Haru even joined the group was because she needed someone to help her with her own Flames. She knew if Tsuna and the others found out she had activated said Flames that there would be heart attacks. So, she did the smart thing by tracking down a suitable teacher and learning how to mask the fact she was Flame Active.

But being around Rome and the others always let her relax a bit.

Overall, it was stacking up to be another easy job with people that she didn’t have to really pretend with. They all knew what she was capable of, they even knew why she was capable of it. They all knew each other’s boundaries and were all professional enough to not cross them.

With some room for creative interpretation of course, but Beijing always got so annoyed when she made out with Berlin instead.

Anyway, because it was going so well she was unsurprised when things went south. Namely watching as a grenade came in from a window and landed right in the middle of the living room. They were using the house as a base and the grenade was an unwanted visitor.

Haru had stared at the ordinate for half second before remembering she was supposed to find cover. Haru dove behind the couch just before the living room went up in smoke and shrapnel. But she was unscathed as she peered up to see if the person who threw the grenade came in after it.

She was not disappointed.

Twenty goons stormed their little abode in rather melodramatic fashion. Haru never understood why some criminals took their cues from the movies. But it made it easier for her to predict them, so it meant less chances for injury.

Haru’s weapon of choice was a pair of specialized guns shishou gave her. Two semi-automatic nine-millimeter Beretta handguns that were made from Flame conducive metal to be precise. The beauty of the guns was not only could she use her flames to change the size and shape of the barrel, there were a set of hidden blades that came out from the handles.

She had gotten used to using the blades. She could easily slice someone’s throat or stab them while firing on another opponent. Or she could flip her grip to the surprisingly cool barrels to use the guns as a form of makeshift Kama instead.

The five goons that were with her in the living room didn’t stand a chance.

Once her opponents were dead or bleeding out, she quickly turned to go get her bag. She marveled at how Berlin’s military training had sunken so deep into her bones that it was second nature to her now. She didn’t even need to rush around to pack her bag, just grab a laptop off her bed and toss the small duffel over her shoulder.

Previously agreed upon protocol had her out the door and to a waiting motorcycle.

While the others stayed to fight their way through this unplanned wrinkle in their day. Haru was on her way across the small town they were in to prepare their second safe-house for the injured. Berlin might have Sun Flames, but the woman wasn’t a medic.

Haru cursed when a jeep of goons followed her. She had to think quickly to lose them as she didn’t want them to find out where the group would be setting up shop again. She sped down a few alleyways and almost rolled off the bike as she swung the machine to a stop in a crowded parking lot of a large store.

She was off the bike and racing off on foot even before the jeep pulled in to look for her.

She skidded through the automatic doors of the store and dodged around a few patrons. She had to slow herself a bit, so she didn’t attract attention, but her quick walk took her straight for the girl’s room. She figured if anyone was wondering about her frazzled appearance they would assume she really had to use the toilet.

No one would really care if she never left the bathroom. She doubted even security would take much notice of the small Asian woman slipping out the large window. The boots she was wearing hit the dark turf of the alleyway at the side of the building as she escaped.

She then proceeded to race up a nearby fire escape to a small office building near the store. She got onto the roof and sprinted towards the far edge. The first jump always left her heart stuck in her throat, no matter how many times she practiced her parkour.

She didn’t stay on the roofs long. Despite the advantage of people rarely looking up, she knew her pursuers would likely check there first. So, it was back to the alleyways as she did her best to even out her trotting gait and prepare herself to blend into the sea of tourists on the main roads.

She was just about in the clear when her path was blocked.

“Well, well, fancy meeting you here, Kitsune.” Belphegor said having stumbled into her path from the backdoor of a building.

She paused as she eyed the Varia Commander. She couldn’t hear any pursuers, but she was on the clock and this was another unwelcome wrinkle to an already compromised day. She wondered if she could get away with kicking him below the belt and racing off.

“Haru can go on personal vacations, desu.” She decided with her arms crossed.

“Do personal vacations involve car chases?” He asked, and she had a feeling he was raising an eyebrow at her.

She rolled her eyes with a sigh. “What do you want, Belphegor-san?”

She should just get a shirt with that quote across the chest. It would save her form asking it every time they met. Though she wasn’t sure if he would get off on having his name written across her chest or not.

Men always found some way to complicate her life, desu.

“Actually,” he paused as he grinned, “nothing. I just happened to have a job nearby and noticed your skills on that motorcycle. I take it you ditched it somewhere convenient.”

Well then, she thought as she eyed him, time for some form of distraction.

She straightened up and put her hand on her hip. As she sauntered up to him she noticed the way he seemed to stiffen. He was probably expecting a knee between his legs as she slipped into his space.

Instead her hand fisted itself around the collar of his striped black and maroon shirt. She yanked him down hard and tilted her head, so he almost crashed onto her lips. She once again marveled at how he seemed to stiffen in her hold before almost melting against her.

She let his hands find her hips and drag her towards him. The kiss turned heated as he tightened his grip on her just a bit more. She even let his tongue enter her mouth.

Only for her to pull the same knockout pinch she had done back on St. Patrick’s Day.

She fondly rolled her eyes at his fallen form and giggled. Really, he should be expecting her to pull something like that. But he seemed to fall for her innocent charms yet again.

She dragged him over to an out of the way spot where not even the homeless would find him. Then because she decided why not and blamed the adrenaline, she snagged his crown. She sauntered away with the silver diadem spinning on her finger and a smug smirk on her face.

She really shouldn’t feel so empowered from the whole thing. But she would take her wins where she could get them. Even if it means pausing in a job to steal a crown along the way.

She made it to her destination without incident. By the time the rest of her group showed up she already found the information on why a Varia Commander was in the area. As she extracted a few bullets and stitched up a few lacerations, she reported to Rome that a small Mafia family allied with the Vongola hired a Varia attack dog to take out their target.  
She hoped Belphegor would forgive them the next day after they completed their objective.

A week later, Mammon was the one to show up on her doorstep with a bottle of champagne. Apparently Xanxus decided that this time Reborn didn’t need to know how she stole Belphegor’s crown. She did however figure out how to dodge Mammon’s questioning over a nice home-cooked lunch.

After the Arcobaleno Mist left, Haru realized she was likely screwed. She resolved to stay out of Belphegor’s way for a bit. Besides, Hibari needed her help with a few things so it should be rather easy.


	11. Party Games

The eleventh time she stole his crown, she was in the middle of a busy week. It started shortly after Mammon had left her house and Hibari asked for her assistance. She didn’t mind helping the Cloud Guardian but sometimes she swore he was an incorrigible troll.

She was just glad life on her professional front was doing well. She was only weeks away from finishing her training period. That meant already Hibari was urging her to get things ready for her full takeover of the hospital.

She had been ready since the moment she decided to go into medicine, thank you very much.

Her choice of a medical career was no accident and was carefully planned out. She had known she would want to go into something that would help her friends. But it took her dad dying in that car accident to kick her into gear.

She didn’t want to go into the police force. While being a crooked police officer would help dissuade the local police form noticing the increased criminal activity. She just couldn’t find it in her to cheat the other innocent civilians of Namimori their safety.

Besides, Hibari pretty much had the police force under control by now.

So, she had turned her sight on the other source of potential fallout, the hospital. While doctor-patient confidentiality could keep most of the talk to a minimum, there were only so many times someone could go to the emergency room before people started talking. Not to mention there was a lot of personal information in a medical file that could be exploited if someone figured out how to steal it.

Her time stuck in the hospital because of the little abduction and torture session also may have swayed her decision. She learned a lot about how corrupt the upper management was while speaking to the nurses. It stemmed from a power struggle from the five major Yakuza groups operating in Namimori.

Unfortunately for the Yakuza, Haru was a wiz with numbers. She only needed an hour to copy the hospital’s finances to begin ferreting out the best way to subtly buy the place. She didn’t even need to hold all the shares, just the majority, to be the person to sign off on all major decisions.

She could appoint her own chairman, change and implement policies, and even oversee employments.

She was set on that front. She didn’t need to really bother with the Yakuza since they hadn’t yet figured out she had usurped their control. So, she didn’t see why Hibari insisted they needed to take over the Yakuza groups.

She figured Hibari was setting them up as a power couple in a way.

He had control over most of the legal branches of Namimori as well as the educational committees. However, he didn’t have an in to the medical side of things or the building and housing committees. She took over the housing and building committee almost as soon as she could.

Mostly because she was having problems with them when she inherited her house. There were unexplained fees in her taxes that went to the committees. A bit of digging found the reason being one of the main Yakuza groups had taken over the committee without many people really knowing.

With the building and housing committee she gained control over many of the corporations and personal businesses in Namimori. She didn’t exercise that power often, but she may have reduced the building fees for Yamamoto’s sushi shop as well as a few select other businesses. She claimed it was because they were some of the oldest standing businesses in Namimori, the fact that the sushi shop was barely older than Takeshi himself was just an oversight, honest.

But the long and short of it was, Hibari wanted complete control over Namimori. She could respect that. She didn’t see how her becoming THE crime boss in Namimori would help.

Maybe it was to keep anyone off the trail that Hibari was the one that was behind the corrupt police force.

Regardless of his reasoning, Haru found herself knee deep in the Yakuza before the week was up. It wasn’t even hard. She just had to wave her ownership of the building committee around for them to come knocking on her door with a _polite_ request for tea.

Two weeks later she offed two Yakuza bosses. The first being the one that wanted to tell her what she should be doing with the building committee. The second being a rival that thought the newly boss-less yakuza group weak and easily defeated.

The second soon found himself facing a shadowy group of assassins that weren’t too happy their leader was being threatened.

So, juggling two yakuza groups and figuring out how to sort out the mess was bad enough. Hibari demanding she go for the other three was just insane. She could argue that acquiring criminal organizations wasn’t the easiest thing to do, especially if one acquired them through force.

She had enough in-fighting and assassination attempts with one group, two was just overkill. She was pretty sure she _would_ die if she added a third. Four or five groups in the same turmoil would give the _kami_ trouble.

Haru knew she was a goddess, but even she was hard pressed in the miracle department.

It was this overworked and over-stressed Haru that found herself attending a Vongola dinner. She wasn’t even sure why she was being forced to attend. But Kyoko and Chrome made sure to drag her from her fortified house and to the stately mansion that the Vongola rented for the very occasion.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Chrome asked with her hand on Haru’s shoulder.

“Haru-chan is fine, desu.” She tried to reassure with maybe a smile. “Her boss is just being demanding at work.”

Never had Haru considered the term boss so subjective.

“Stressed?” Chrome said with concern. Haru sighed and nodded. “Well try not to think too hard on it. We’re here to have some fun.”

Haru looked around to the crowded ball room and nearly felt her stomach twist. Everyone else was having fun, but all Haru wanted to do was curl up in a ball and take a nap. She could at least pull out a small tiny smile for Kyoko who was twirling around the dance-floor with a very uncoordinated Tsuna.

She knew Reborn would be on the Decimo’s case about dancing lessons after tonight.

Haru slipped away from Chrome as the other girls migrated over. She couldn’t put up enough of a front for the likes of Bianchi and Haru was under no delusion that the Scorpion was anything but observant. Instead she focused on the drink bar.

She had stuck with water all night. Mostly because it was easier to tell if water was spiked, and didn’t that just show how paranoid she was. She just about banged her head on the bar top at her own musings.

But a sudden tumbler of amber liquid being shoved in front of her stopped the dramatic show of exasperation at her own stupidity.

“Huh?” She asked blinking at it.

“You look like you need something stronger than water, trash.” A gruff voice said to her left making her turn.

Logically she knew the Varia were there. This was some sort of inclusive celebration for some inane Vongola tradition. Of course, they would be present, even if the whole why behind the party escaped Haru now.

“Haru isn’t old enough to legally drink, desu.” She said rolling her eyes.

“You honestly think anyone here gives a shit?” Xanxus asked with a faint smirk.

“Haru gives a shit, desu.” She said crossing her arms.

He just chuckled at her and pushed the glass closer to her. It would probably look hilarious to anyone observing them. Her, a tiny slip of a girl that barely topped five foot, being gently prodded into accepting a glass of alcohol form the him, a large predator in both presence and size as he topped six foot.

On second thought, Haru was pretty sure this would appear slightly rape-like.

“It’s not poisoned.” He said almost grinning at her.

She raised an eyebrow at him. “But don’t bartenders ask you to choose your poison when you order a drink?”

Both ignored how the actual bartender snorted at that.

“One drink isn’t going to kill you, trash. Besides, there’s only two shots there.” He said a ring of amused challenge to his voice.

Some part of her leapt at the challenge, but her cautious side won out.

She stuck her tongue out at him before turning to ask for her water.

“Don’t tell me your fighting with the boss over alcohol now.” Levi said with a put-upon sigh. “You’re disruptive enough just stealing the pathetic prince’s crowns.”

“Haru would like to point out, she only ever actually stole one. All the others she got were from incidents that were technically not stealing.” She shot at him with a slight glare.

She turned back to her drink and paused. She glared at Xanxus who’s grin was almost boyish as he held the glass of water she ordered. In her hand was the glass of what smelt like whiskey that he had been trying to shove on her.

She gently sat the glass down. Then promptly turned and walked away. The bar wasn’t the only place she could get a drink after all.

She didn’t trust the punch stand. But she figured if she hovered off to the side Xanxus would eventually leave the bar. Or that’s what she hoped at least, his perchance for giving her alcohol was more indicative of someone who liked drinking.

There were also a few waiters and waitresses walking around with glasses of champagne and wine. Again, not something she was all too enthused over. But they were at least a better bet than the punch stand.

She snagged a punch glass and poured the liquid into the bowl. She knew were the kitchen was and soon had her glass of water. She realized it might seem ridiculous, but she was too high strung and being cautious was relaxing.

She made it another hour before she slipped. Really it was Kyoko at fault since the girl had gotten steadily drunker from the champagne Bianchi was feeding her. This was supposed to be a party and what was a party without a little drinking.

Haru missed how someone swapped her glass of water for something else. She didn’t smell a difference, so she figured it was vodka. The sting that hit her tongue also helped convince her it was vodka.

She turned and glared at Xanxus who she could spot through the crowd. The bastard had the nerve to salute her with his glass of whatever it was he was drinking and smirk. She had half a mind to stalk up to him and pour the glass in her hand down his pants.

She handed the glass instead to a passing waiter and went somewhere else to sulk.

The rest of the party followed in a similar vein. She found her drinks switched out with various alcohols as she did her best not to drink them. She would swear the Varia were making a game of it actually, especially when Levi of all people nearly successfully slipped her a mojito.

But by far the most successful one to slip her something was Fran. The child Mist having slipped her a few glasses of apple cider masked in apple juice. She cursed the little Mist as she glared at his smirk for every success.

“I don’t get it.” Squalo said frowning at the two of them. “How’d you pull it off?”

“Cinnamon.” Fran said blankly. “Nee-chan has trouble tasting anything else if there’s cinnamon.”

She scrunched up her nose at that. “Haru should have never told you about that.”

“It could be worse, flower fairy.” Fran said making her glare at him. “Yes, you understand.”

“Well the prince doesn’t.” Belphegor announced and was soon leaning on her shoulders with his head propped on top hers. “Is there something else that messes with Kitsune’s sense of taste?”

“Say it and Haru will no longer give you bake goods to tease Mukuro-san with.” Haru said darkly.

“But nee-chan.” Fran actually whined.

“So, are you going to tell us, trash?” Xanxus asked and Haru once again wondered how she ended up in the middle of these assassins.

“And lose bake good privileges?” Fran said with wide eyes. “Never.”

“Haru-chan!” Chrome almost stumbled face first into Haru in her rush. Luckily for the other woman, Squalo automatically steadied her with a snort.

“Kyoko-chan has to go home now?” Haru asked already knowing the answer.

“And Bianchi-san as well.” Chrome said blushing a bit as she swayed. “And maybe me. But I can make it back on my own.”

“Chrome-chan,” Haru sighed, “you’re about to fall over with Squalo-san helping you stand. I think Mist traveling at this point is beyond you. Unless we want a repeat of the zoo incident.”

“You managed to put the tiger back before anyone knew it went missing.” Chrome said blinking at her.

“Yes, among Haru’s many magnificent skills is tiger taming.” Haru said rolling her eyes.

“Really? When did you find time to learn that?” Chrome asked blink at Haru in astonishment. Haru managed to ignore the laughs that came from the men around her.

“Right, you’re more than a little drunk if you forgot what sarcasm is, Chrome-chan.” Haru said as she began shrugging Belphegor off herself. He grunted as if displeased to be forced from his perch but otherwise backed off.

“Need a hand Kitsune?” Belphegor asked moving to her side.

“Haru should be able to corral them on her own.” She said even as she moved to catch Chrome who tilted a bit too far away from Squalo, so she slipped out of his grip. “She’s unfortunately done this before, desu.”

“Even a bit tipsy?” Lussuria asked with a frown.

“Especially tipsy,” Haru almost groaned as she remembered a few memorable nights out with the other girls. Bianchi was such an enabler and Haru was often the only one sober enough to deal with the aftermath with something resembling sanity.

Unfortunately, the Varia decided to actually show they have some training as gentlemen at that moment. Not only was Chrome gently extracted from nearly crawling on top of Haru. The men helped her track down a very drunk Kyoko and Bianchi.

Kyoko was convinced she weighed twice as much as she did on Earth and was crying over the fact. While Bianchi was going on some love tirade while throwing corrosive cupcakes everywhere. Haru wasn’t certain what brought on this bout of drunken shenanigans, but she hoped they would behave in the car.

It took her, Levi, Lussuria, Squalo, and Belphegor to get the three very drunk women into the car. Fran stood off to the side giving helpful commentary, so she supposed he helped as well. Meanwhile she was only vaguely aware that Xanxus had gone off to inform Tsuna that the girls were headed home.

She strapped all three into the backseat. She had learned her lesson already of what sort of trouble any of them could be if they road up front. She however was surprised Belphegor slipped into the car as she started the engine.

“Haru will not be held responsible if you don’t survive this journey.” She said having a feeling he would refuse being ejected from the vehicle.

He snorted. “The shitty shark demanded one of us make sure you girls made it home safe.”

Haru eyed him before calmly setting her phone in the mount on the dashboard. She made sure the camera was angled just right and hit the record button. She didn’t even acknowledge the unasked question Belphegor seemed to send her as he watched her pull out of the parking area.

It didn’t take long for the ride to take a turn for the bizarre. It started with the girls in the back singing loudly and off key to the radio, substituting random words along the way. But soon turned into some sort of weird strip tease in the back seat.

“FREE THE BOOBIES!” The three cheered as they did just that.

Unfortunately, all three were wearing dresses so in order to “Free the boobies” they had to take off their dresses.

“The fuck?” Belphegor asked as an exceptionally large tulle skirt was foisted over his head.

“Free the boobies, Haru-chan!” Kyoko demanded and Haru refused to even twitch.

“Haru-chan is driving.” She said calmly. “She can’t take her hands off the wheel or we’ll crash.”

“Oh!” Kyoko drawled and Haru wondered if the girl was also high. “Drive Haru Drive!”

“DRIVE HARU DRIVE!” The two others joined in and began chanting. “DRIVE HARU DRIVE! DRIVE HARU DRIVE! YAAAY! HARU’S DRIVING! DRIVE HARU DRIVE!”

Haru could feel her near constant migraine of the past week wake up and cheer along with the drunkards.

However, this was fine. So long as they didn’t ramp up their insanity like the usually did, she would be fine. She prayed to the gods that she could make it at least to Kyoko’s before the other two got worse.

Luckily her prayers were answered, and she pulled into the driveway of Kyoko’s house with them still chanting about her driving skills. She took a breath and got out to help Kyoko get her princess dress back on and the girl to the door. She was just glad Kyoko’s parents were out of town.

Haru didn’t want to have another awkward conversation about how she was being a responsible friend.

She left Kyoko on the living room couch for Ryohei to deal with whenever the boxer got home. Then headed back to the car hoping they hadn’t somehow found a way to egg it again. She was pleased to see no damage to the inside of the car and ignored the fact that Bianchi was trying to make out with Chrome in the back.

“Two more stops.” She muttered as she pulled out the driveway. “Just don’t do anything crazy for two more stops.”

“Praising your driving skills is a bit crazy, Kitsune.” Belphegor said fussing with this hair that was sticking up oddly thanks to the now vacant tulle dress.

“You two are so adorable.” Bianchi was suddenly drawling as she leaned between the two front seats. “Like a fairy-tale royal couple. I bet I can even tell your story.”

Haru wanted to bang her head on the steering wheel. Or slam Bianchi’s head into the dashboard to get her to shut up. Either would work, but Haru decided to focus on staying on the road instead.

“The prince, lost in the woods, is set upon by a magnificent fairy who steals a kiss. Then, he… Then he goes to the court of an allied kingdom to find the fairy in the gardens. When he tried to catch the fairy, she slipped through his fingers. He tried to… to… to entice… yea that’s the word, he tried to entice her with pretty jewels, but she refused. Then she met her one true love and left the prince behind. The end. Wasn’t that a beautiful romantic story?”

“Yes, very romantic.” Haru drawled calmly.

“What’s so romantic about it?” Belphegor asked with a frown. “Don’t princes in fairy-tales always get the girl?”

“That’s Disney.” Haru said getting a laugh from Bianchi.

“Is the little prince jealous? It’s okay! You’ll find someone to love you!” Bianchi said throwing her arms around both Belphegor and the seat he was in. “If you want I can make Haru-chan jealous for you. I’m very good at lap dances! TURN ON THE RADIO!”

“The radio is on.” Haru said but turned up the volume a bit anyway.

Bianchi crawled between the seats before Belphegor could process what was going on. Haru gently swiveled the phone mount so the camera would get a full view of what was about to happen. Then Bianchi, drunker than a sailor on leave, proceeded to give Belphegor a lap dance in her underwear.

In the corner of her eye Haru could see Belphegor was so stiff he might have been replaced with a marble look alike.

Luckily, she pulled into Tsuna’s driveway before Bianchi could get any friskier and offer something else up. With a calmness she gained form her medical training, Haru extracted the overly amorous woman from the assassin and put the slinky black cocktail dress back on her. Haru almost frog-marched the woman to the door with a sigh.

“But you two are totally adorable.” Bianchi said with a grin. “Here! A crown for the fairy princess!”

Haru felt something land on her head before Bianchi stumbled into the house. Haru was grateful Nana was still at the party with her husband. Haru wouldn’t want to poor woman to once again be subjected to Bianchi’s drunkenness without Reborn around to control her.

Haru made it back to the car and sat down with a sigh. A glance in the back found Chrome had passed out on the back seat. She was curled up like a kitten hugging her gothic Lolita dress she had been wearing.

Haru then turned to Belphegor who was just staring forward still rather stiff.

“Deep breaths, Belphegor-san.” Haru advised getting a slightly jerking nod from the Prince. Haru subtly moved the phone so it was back to its original position as she began the rather lengthy drive to Kokuyo Land.

Belphegor eventually began relaxing again making Haru force down a smile.

“I forgot to mention Bianchi-san tends to be a bit affectionate when drunk.” Haru said almost feeling the glare he shot her as he turned.

“A bit?”

“She once tried to give Haru a lap dance while Haru was driving.” She said in way of explanation getting a snort from him.

“And the Mist gal in the back?” Belphegor said some tension leaving his shoulders.

“Has a tendency to Mist travel, either bringing stuff into the car, her leaving the car, or moving the car completely. Haru nearly drove off a cliff once because Chrome-chan decided she wanted to see stars as we drove.” Haru almost cringed as she remembered a few incidents. “But the good thing about Chrome-chan is once she goes to sleep she won’t wake up until the alcohol is done metabolizing in her system.”

There was a long silence after that.

Haru realized this was the first time the two of them had been in a confined space without someone around. Sure, Chrome was in the back, but the Mist was oblivious to the world. Even their little interaction in the construction site was being listened in on by Reborn.

“So, what were you doing in Malta?” Belphegor asked after a few minutes of more silence.

“A friend needed some help and was willing to pay for Haru’s plane ticket.” Haru said with a shrug. “What were you doing there?”

“Work.” Belphegor said with a sigh as he slumped a bit. “Not that it worked out well. Someone got to my target before me.”

The silence wasn’t quite awkward but felt heavy. Like they both should be talking about something yet neither could figure out what. Finally, Haru decided to break the silence.

“What else have you been up to?” She asked deciding it was the safest topic to pick. “Get any nifty souvenirs from traveling?”

“No, but I think you managed to get a souvenir off me.” Belphegor said with a faint smirk. “But otherwise it’s the same as it always is. Training, jobs, annoying the others. What about you?”

“Ugh.” She said simply getting a faint laugh from him. “Haru is almost done her probation period at work so she won’t be slaved to their demands as much. Kyo-Kyo seems to think that is permission for Haru to become his errand girl. Also, Haru’s been dealing with some fallout from a little fight she had with the housing committee over her house. Don’t get her started on the Kyoko-patrol.”

“Kyoko-patrol?” He asked amused.

“Right,” She sighed, “only Yamamoto-kun knows about it. But since Kyoko-chan has agreed to date Tsuna-san there’s been a few…detractors among the eligible bachelorettes in the mafia. Since Kyoko-chan refuses to take self-defense or even carry pepper spray, Haru has become her unofficial bodyguard.”

“Why does that sound entertaining?” Belphegor asked with an almost bloodthirsty grin.

“Because more than a few of the bachelorettes have decided to hire goons to dissuade the relationship between Kyoko-chan and Tsuna-san. Actually, Haru was leading some of those goons on a merry chase when we met, and I accidentally held onto your crown.”

“Where is that crown anyway? I don’t mind you taking the others as much, but that one is a family heirloom.”

“Haru has put it in a safe room in her house with a few other valuables. Someone would have to be very determined if they wanted to it.” Haru said a bit smug.

“How determined are we talking about?”

“Twenty kilos of C4 and a high-powered saw with a diamond edged blade. Maybe a few other tools depending on which way they try to crack the vault.”

She caught his mouth dropping out of the corner of her eye.

“Fuck woman, just what are you hiding in your house you need that sort of reinforcements?” He said turning to her.

She smirked. “Well, a royal family heirloom for one.”

He gave a snort before shaking his head. “Mind if I trade you one of the replicas for it?”

“It’s your crown, Belphegor-san. I’ve been willing to give you all of them back without incident. But if I recall right, the last time that wasn’t what you ended wanting.”

“I admit my curiosity got the better of me there.” He said with an almost roguish smile. “But why ruin the game when it’s been so fun?”

“Game? Fun?” She asked blinking.

“Do you honestly think I would take someone stealing my crown lying down? I was going to go easy on you when I saw you at Sawada’s after you first took it. Imagine my surprise when I suddenly had an elbow nearly destroy the bridge of my nose. Besides, don’t tell me you think I would just rely on bobby-pins to keep my crown from falling off on a job. I usually sew it down.”

“With some of your wire.” Haru said mind zipping through various ways he could secure the crown in his hair, so it wouldn’t fall off. Sewing it down would make the most sense, and if he used some extra wire it meant he would have a little more if necessary.

“You’re pretty fast on the uptake.”

“And you were in a pretty tight spot when this whole thing began. Bullet wounds and the last of your weaponry depleted. How far did you think you would get stumbling through the alleyways?”

“I was hoping to make it to Sawada and his friends. Not the best for a Varia Commander but someone tipped them off I specifically was on the job. Even the Varia can look the other way with that sort of complication. Though I didn’t really need to go too far before one of Sawada’s friends ran into me.”

She refused to laugh. “I suppose it was convenient for the both of us then. But if I catch the bastard you guys have watching my house, don’t think I won’t give him a talking to.”

“What makes you think we’re watching your house?” He asked and Haru would swear he blinked.

“How’d you know I was going to be in Malta? You didn’t sew down your crown there, and I’m pretty sure you didn’t just happen to look out the window and see me. The only way for you to know where I was going to be is if you had someone in Namimori follow me to the airport. Even then Mammon-chan would have to hack the airlines to figure out my final destination.”

“Have I told you just how brilliant and entirely wasted you are on Sawada?”

Haru snorted and was pleased to see Kokuyo Land at the end of the road. It wasn’t long before she had Chrome back into her dress and was about to piggy back the girl inside. Only Belphegor graciously plucked the Mist from Haru’s hold and carried the younger girl.

The drive back to Namimori was rather quiet. Haru had turned off the recording and slipped her phone away. She relaxed for a moment, enjoying some reprieve from the crazy.  
Even if she could feel him occasionally glancing at her.

Once she pulled into her house, she sighed and just sat there for a moment. It had been a long night and she just wanted to get some sleep. Instead she motioned for Belphegor to follow her in.

“Isn’t it proper for a guy to take a gal out to dinner before getting invited in?” he asked as he followed her, grin on his face and hands in his pockets.

“Not if she’s just going to hand him something and kick him out.” Haru shot back swiping the screen of her phone to turn off her security system.

Her house was rather underwhelming for how much she invested in security. It looked like any other modern Japanese home, complete with a small alter in the living room where a picture of her dad and mom sat in black frames. She knew he took in every detail as he looked around the comfortable space.

She led him down the hall to what was once a simple closet. It took only a few pushes of a keypad for the door to pop open. She practically dragged him into the large space and reveled in how his jaw dropped.

She had ended up getting a rather robust dresser made of oak that was not only long but wide even though it only went to about waist high. She had made three large tiers and covered them, as well as the top of the dresser, in a dark rich red velvet. The whole top was encased by a large bulletproof glass square topper that had a set of sliding doors that were in themselves secured with a lock.

Seated on separate silk pillows artfully displayed on the three tiers were the ten crowns she had taken from him. Each crown glinted under the recessed lights she had installed above the dresser. With a large beautiful oil painting of the Carpathians hung on the wall and stretching the length of the dresser, the whole set up looked like something that was supposed to be in an art gallery or museum.

As Haru’s dad always told her, if one was going to care for something they best do so correctly.

“Why purple?” he asked moving forward to peer at the pillows. While each pillow was indeed a deep purple, there were different colored borders on each one.

“It’s considered a royal color in Europe.” She said with a shrug.

“And the accents?”

“To tell which one is which. Like the one with the green border is the one from St. Patrick’s Day. The silver one is the one you gave me. And the gold one is the first one.” She said pointing out each one.

She noticed him suddenly frowning. “There’s one extra.”

“Hm?”

“I can remember which ones you got. There’s one extra.” He said turning to her. “You should have nine.”

She smirked slightly. “I suppose. How about you figure that one out for yourself? This is supposed to be a game, right?”

“The prince should stab you.” He said dully making her laugh as she opened the case and slid the doors open. She plucked up the very first crown she stole from him and handed it over.

“Here you go.” She said with a smirk. “Now get out.”

“Your hospitality is the pinnacle of high society.” He said moving in a way that she was sure he was rolling his eyes at her. “Just remember you need a new pillow for the crown currently on your head.”

“What?” She asked patting her head to find indeed there was something on her head. She could only hiss, “ _Bianchi_.”

Belphegor left with the last laugh.

She couldn’t even be annoyed when Mammon appeared the next day with another crown and a bottle of some alcohol that she was sure was called Tuica. It was apparently a traditional liquor from Romania of all places and she wasn’t sure why she got a bottle of it. But it’s apparently made from plums and who doesn’t love plums?

Mammon also tried to shake her for information, but Haru was onto the Esper’s ways.


	12. A Normal Day

The twelfth time she stole his crown, he was helping her dispose of a body. It turns out, telling the Varia that the Decimo’s girlfriend is constantly being threatened by other mafia families in hopes he would break up with her and ally himself with their families, had consequences. Namely the Varia decided it was in their best interest to buy a house in Namimori and set up shop.

Why their house had to be on the same block as Haru’s, she didn’t understand. But she caught them moving in a few weeks after the Vongola dinner. She learned from Fran that only one or two actual Varia members would be staying there full time, and they weren’t the upper command.

She wondered if her not-really-a-threat-threat about speaking with the Varia operative stalking her was the cause for this decision.

She knew there were a lot nicer and even more affordable homes elsewhere in the city. She knew for a fact that just a block away from both Tsuna and Kyoko were no less than twelve houses on the market. She ran the damn housing committee, she should know these things.

Regardless of this new wrinkle in her life, Haru carried on as she had been.

Namely she finally finished her probationary period at the hospital. She was officially Doctor Miura, resident emergency surgeon of Namimori Hospital. She still worked the night shift which was just fine with her because it let her spend her mornings and early afternoons at home.

Her first move after gaining her official position was to out the old chairman of the hospital. The bastard had been a thorn in her side through most of her training simply because she was young and female. He couldn’t believe she managed to get through medical school so quickly without spreading her legs to do so.

He would never know the amount of caffeine, sugar, and two living alarm clocks she went through to get her degree. She was surprised she even slept at all for the past two years. But she found the time and was now at the top of the tallest mountain she had ever dared to climb.

Not even her first honor in gymnastics had made her this relieved and joyous.

She went as far as to go to TakeSushi with Sayuri, Hotaru, Hikaru, and Fran who was hiding at her place again. The fact they managed to rope in Hibari and Kusakabe turned it into a party. Yamamoto also joined in, and his father never once yelled at him for helping prepare the meal which was a miracle onto itself.

It was at this party that she learned the Varia were going to be moving into town. She wasn’t bothered at first until she found out where they were setting up shop. Regardless she had an actual career to focus on now, rather than trying to figure out a group of assassins.

Of course, Hibari was pressuring her to up her operations, but she was five steps ahead of him already. Once he figured that out he backed off and let her do her thing. She was tempted to appoint Kusakabe the new chairman of the hospital just to spite the Cloud Guardian.

She wasn’t that mean however, and she refused to put someone unfamiliar with the hospital in charge.

One of her loyal minions was placed as head of the hospital and was soon auditing everything. With the Hospital in full overhaul it was inevitable that the Yakuza group that held the most power in the hospital would go searching for answers. Haru had managed to smooth out one of her Yakuza groups already and was almost finished with the second one she obtained.

She was ready for the third to come knocking on her door.

She of course kept her ongoing Yakuza War away from Tsuna and his friends. She could just hear his lecture about how it’s not safe for her. Then he’d swoop in and try to take over, probably upsetting the already delicate balance she was managing to maintain.

Which is why she just about had a panic attack when she went shopping.

It started out normal enough. She had her list of things she had to do that day. Pick up a few new clothes, do a little grocery shopping, dispose of the body currently vacuum sealed in a large plastic bag in the trunk of her car, normal everyday things she did routinely.

Truthfully, she should have disposed of the body first. But the clothing stores she needed to go to were on the way. It only seemed logical to stop and get her clothing shopping done so it was one less thing.

Besides the vacuum seal meant no bodily fluids or odors escaped. It did however mean half of her trunk space was unusable due to the rather large object being covered haphazardly with an old blanket. Shut up, she was a professional, she knew it would be bad if someone went poking around.

Which was why she didn’t take too long in the clothing shops. Some of the stuff, like the plain white dress shirts and a few black skirts, were standard fare she picked up often enough she didn’t have to try any on. She just went for the cheapest with a brand she would swear by because these items were for work, as she sometimes didn’t have time to change into scrubs before needing to stick her hand into someone to make sure they didn’t die in an emergency bay.

A few other things however needed to be tried on. Stuff like a few new cocktail dresses because as a Yakuza boss she had to be fashionable. While her new men could overlook her wearing finely made Yukata and Kimono for everyday operations, they wanted to show her off properly when the out of town allies came to visit.

She was beginning to suspect they saw her as an adored living doll. She didn’t mind actually. It meant they were less inclined to cause her harm if they saw her in a fond light.  
But it was while she was dress shopping she ran into trouble.

“Haru-chan!”

She had blinked up from seeing how the red of a sleek sleeveless turtleneck dress looked against her skin. As she looked around she found the tall visage of Lussuria bouncing into her view. Following the energetic Sun Commander was a grumbling Belphegor who looked about ready to stab the store clerk who was trying to help the two foreigners with a strained smile.

“Lussuria-san,” She said with a smile, “how are you?”

“Oh, I am just fine, darling.” He said waving his hand. “I was helping some friends move in a few houses down from yours but just had to do a little clothes shopping before I left. Japan just has the most adorable fashions!”

“Absolutely,” She said perking up. “Did you see the new styles at Tokyo’s fashion week? Ruffles are always so adorable.”

The two got talking about fashion for a good long half hour. Belphegor had flopped down on a chair near the dressing rooms and looked like he fell to sleep. It would be almost adorable if she wasn’t so busy.

“So, I have to ask. What are you doing here? Picking up a few new dresses for the upcoming party season?” Lussuria asked looking at the stack of folded clothes Haru had draped in her arms.

“Pretty much.” Haru said with a smile. “Usually Haru likes to design her own, but work has been keeping her too busy to sew. Kyoko-chan insists Haru must come with her to a few more parties, desu. So Haru is making sure she’s ready.”

“The Vongola parties are always the best.” Lussuria said with a grin. “Mind if I tag along and help a bit? I’m sure we can find some good dresses that don’t show off too much.”

She felt her lips quirk into a smile without her permission. The way he nodded to her right shoulder let her know he was referring to her scars. It was oddly sweet of him.

“Okay, but Haru has other errands to run today as well so she can’t be too long.” She said deciding it wouldn’t be too much harm to let him help her.

It was wonderfully fun. While Kyoko was all for fashion, Lussuria was a kindred spirit when it came to the wonders of clothes. It didn’t help that Belphegor always got this small confused frown when the two of them argued over fabrics, cuts, and even stitching.

The Storm commander gave up asking what they were talking about after only five minutes. Instead he was elected to just sit there and pass judgement on whether something looked good to a layman. It didn’t take them long at all to find her fifteen new dresses, even though she could only afford seven on her budget.

While she tried to decide which seven she wanted, Lussuria struck up a conversation on accessories. Haru was so caught up in arguing the differences between real and fake gemstones she hadn’t even realized they made it to the checkout. In fact, she was so distracted it took suddenly being in actual sunlight to clue her into the fact that the two assassins had cunningly bought her clothes and were getting her to take them to her car.

“Hahi! Haru didn’t pay for those, desu!” She said looking between the bags and the doors of the store.

“Of course not.” Lussuria said with a dismissive wave. “You were just too cute in all of them. I just had to make sure you didn’t leave one behind. Don’t worry too much over it darling. Think of it as repayment for that time I accidently ruined your special cake.”

Haru gaped at him before puffing up in slight irritation. She crossed her arms and stomped her foot. But really, she doubted she could ninja skills her way around he two determined men when they weren’t distracted.

One of them, maybe. But there was a reason the Varia were known for their Quality.

She doubted her cute flirty act would work on Lussuria the same way it worked on Belphegor. Likewise, anything she could think of to distract Lussuria would definitely not work on Belphegor. She didn’t have the time or information to come up with something good enough in the middle ground to one up both at the same time.

She would have to correct that later.

“Fine, but the trunk of Haru’s car is full now. So, the bags will have to go in the backseat, desu.” Haru had grumbled making Lussuria laugh as he gently patted her head.

  
Haru felt her eyebrow twitch slightly, but otherwise sighed it off. She helped Lussuria shove the bags in the back seat. While she was rearranging them, so the dresses wouldn’t be damaged, she was startled to hear the trunk door slam down.

“Hahi!” She almost shrieked as she hit her head against the doorframe of the door. She did however pull herself into a standing position and turned to the back of the car with a glare.

  
Belphegor was grinning at her with a slight head tilt. Haru refused to acknowledge that she knew this was his curious eyebrow raise look. She didn’t think she knew him that well for all the times they interacted.

“You have a body in the trunk, Kitsune.” Belphegor wisely didn’t shout it to high heaven. But it was loud enough for Haru to hear, and from the thump on the ceiling in her car, probably Lussuria as well.

“Like Haru said, she has errands today.” Haru said crossing her arms.

Belphegor shook his head, “He really should learn to clean up his own messes. Doesn’t Hibari have minions to do this for him?”

Haru shrugged. “Sometimes people are busy.”

Somehow that ended up with the two deciding they were going to help her on her errands of the day. She could have done without them tagging along, but figured there was little she could do in the situation. Besides, the place she was going to dispose of the body wasn’t going to give away any of her secrets.

“You have done this before.” Lussuria said as she easily popped the man’s joints out of socket and used a sharp blade to slice clean between the two bones.

“Haru is friends with some rather violent criminals.” Haru said rolling her eyes. “A few that don’t know or don’t care to clean up after their messes. Of course, she would learn how to ensure they stay out of jail.”

“You’re far to sweet.” Lussuria sighed as he helped her carve off the meat from the bones.

Belphegor took great pleasure in using his flames to disintegrate the final vat of grounded up meat and organs. The bones were also grounded into a rather fine powder for him to set on fire. In all it took a good four hours in an out of the way warehouse to turn the body into nothing.

“As much as Haru doesn’t really like Storm Flames, they’re useful.” She muttered shaking her head at him.

“They aren’t useful for much else.” Belphegor said with a shrug. “But watching your enemies disintegrate before you is always fun.”

Haru was suddenly reminded she was dealing with a bloodthirsty prince turned assassin. Funny how sometimes she forgot about his fabled insanity. She was beginning to think he played it up a bit more around people for his own kicks.

She would have to ask Yukiko, her psychologist. The woman was a wealth of information when she wasn’t at the bottom of a bottle… or running from her gambling debts.

Haru made a note to check in on her favorite mind doctor to make sure she wasn’t at the bottom of a ditch somewhere.

With the body and bag disposed of and everything cleaned up properly. The bags of clothes were moved to the trunk of the car and she found herself taking the two assassins on her shopping trip. She wasn’t sure what they made of her bizarre shopping list.

She stopped at a cosplay store to pick up two new wigs, a makeup boutique for some high-end makeup, a hardware store for some tools and to order some wood. She also stopped at a pet store to pick up some dog shampoo and a toy store for some toddler toys. Finally, she made it to the grocery store, with a list of groceries she would need for the next few days.

“Do you need some help getting all this inside?” Lussuria said smiling at how Haru had basically buried Belphegor in her groceries. The Prince didn’t seem to mind all that much as he appeared to be napping again.

“Haru has got some helpers already, desu. Thank you for the offer though.” Haru said as she pulled into her house.

“Kitsune is very particular about her house.” Belphegor said as he shifted slightly among the bags in the back. “She’s got more security than a top-secret government facility.”

She was about to say something when Fran came bouncing out of the door.

“Nee-chan! Sayuri-chan is being mean to me!” Fran said coming up to the driver side window.

“What are you two arguing over now?” Haru sighed as she got out and put her hands on her hips.

“Fran-kun! Onee-san will be upset if you run off without telling us where you’re going!” Sayuri called before stepping out of the house. “Oh! Onee-san.”

Haru smiled slightly as Sayuri executed a perfect bow.

“Forgive me. Fran-kun has been rather rowdy today.” Sayuri said standing up.

“She won’t let me go play with the fairies.” Fran said latching onto Haru’s waist and snuggling into her side. “I even finished my workbook and ate all of my lunch.”

“Did you clean up your room?” Haru asked as Lussuria stepped out of the car.

“Well…” Haru could almost see Fran looking anywhere but at her. “Oh! What are the tooth decaying fungi doing here, nee-chan?”

“Fran-kun? What are you doing here?” Lussuria asked in a tone that suggested he was blinking at them.

“Sometimes Mukuro-san gets exasperated with him and kicks him out of Kokuyo Land. Haru found him the second time that happen walking around Namimori in the rain. Since then, Fran comes to stay with her if Mukuro-san is annoyed, desu.” Haru said with a smile.

“Nee-chan has even given me my own room.” Fran said blankly.

“Which you failed to clean this week.” Sayuri said primly. “At least go pick up your clothes so I can finish the laundry.”

“Don’t wanna.” Fran said sticking his tongue out at the high schooler.

“Oh honestly, why do you chose the most inconvenient times to act your age?” Sayuri threw her hands up with a sigh. “Don’t make me go up there and search for your laundry myself. Do you remember what happened the last time?”

Fran scrunched up his face. “I still haven’t found all the weapons you hid from me.”

“Exactly.” Sayuri said crossing her arms a bit smug.

“Well before you two get into an epic war over laundry.” Haru said trying to fight down her amusement at her two housemates. “Could you help Haru with the groceries?”

“Did you get my snacks?” Fran said already moving to grab some of the bags and probably look through them on the front lawn.

“Kitsune, who’s this?” Belphegor asked as he handed some bags to Fran who was already rifling as he walked to the door.

“That’s Sayuri-chan. She helps nee-chan.” Fran said blankly. “Don’t touch her. She always carries a Taser and isn’t afraid to stick you with it.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Belphegor-san, Lussuria-san.” Sayuri said with a bow making the two share a look.

“How do you know who we are?” Lussuria asked with a frown making Sayuri giggle.

“Someone has to listen to onee-san rant about crowns and her accidental acquiring of them.” Sayuri said her hand blocking her smile. “Both her and Fran-kun describe you both well so it’s easy to identify you.”

“Oh.” Lussuria said before beaming. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Sayuri-san. I take it you live with Haru fulltime?”

“Since my parents passed.” Sayuri said with a nod. “Miura-sensei was my godfather and in light of his passing Haru has graciously given me a place to stay as I finish high school.”

“I’m sorry to hear of your loss.” Lussuria said before frowning. “Both your losses. I wasn’t aware that Miura-sensei was no longer with us.”

“Dad passed over two years ago.” Haru said with a shrug as she picked up some bags. “He got into a car accident on his way home from work. They said he died instantly when his car went off the side of a bridge from ice.”

“Pity,” Lussuria said with a frown, “I had wanted to meet him. He was a great mathematician and I hear he was a good man as well.”

Haru smiled and moved to bring in the bags she had grabbed. She was pleased to see Fran had moved Hotaru and Hikaru upstairs and hidden the toys strewn on the living room floor. It made her relax a bit as Belphegor smugly sauntered in with a handful of bags.

Sayuri was giggling over something Lussuria said as the two walked in with the rest of the bags. Fran came bouncing down the stairs with a box of green tea Poky in hand. He went to the fridge and pulled out some juice.

“Fran-kun remember the rule about food in your bedroom.” Haru said as he skidded around Lussuria to bounce up the stairs again.

“Sure nee-chan!” He called back making her roll her eyes.

“Boys.” She sighed getting a chuckle from Belphegor. “Oh, you shut up, Belphegor-san. You’ve given Haru enough problems already. What’s this I hear about the Varia moving in down the block?”

“Fran told you?” Belphegor said tilting his head with a large grin. “Don’t worry, Kitsune. The prince has work to do at home and won’t be able to live abroad for a few weeks at least. The shitty boss just thinks it a gross injustice that you and Yamamoto are the only ones looking out after the Decimo’s gal. This will hopefully free up some of your time for yourself. Maybe go to a spa. Would you like a massage?”

“Haru knows you have many talents, Belphegor-san. But she doesn’t think being a massage therapist is one of them, desu.” She said with a snort.

“How would you know?” Belphegor asked with a frown. “The prince could very well be certified.”

“Very well, what is one easy way to relieve lower back pain without necessarily getting a massage?” Haru asked crossing her arms.

Belphegor opened his mouth before closing it. “How do you even know that?”

Haru smirked. “Haru is a woman of many talents, desu. Don’t underestimate the powers of cosplay.”

Belphegor snorted. “Alright, the prince isn’t a certified message therapist. He does know some basics though.”

“Haru is sure he does.” Haru said rolling her eyes ignoring his grin.

“So, what is an easy way to relieve lower back pain?” Belphegor asked tilting his head almost curiously.

Haru motioned for him to come over to her. She just about smirked as she reached up and staged the tip of his ear. Before he could make much of a commotion, she began lightly applying pressure and rubbing near the tip of his ear.

Then she pinched down at a certain spot along the outer rim and he froze a second before almost seeming to melt.

“There’s right here.” She said with a smirk before snagging his hand and pressing a spot between his thumb and forefinger. “And there’s right here. This one, if you move your fingers just a few centimeters towards the wrist can even lock up someone’s ability to move. There’s also another one on top of the hand that can do that.”

She let him go with a slight smirk and he shook his head.

“Anything else? This is acupuncture right?” He frowned at her.

“Yes, it’s acupuncture. Haru’s anatomy teacher was big into studying it so basically gave everyone a free lesson.” Haru said with a faint giggle. “And no, Haru feels you’ve learned enough.”  
“So commoner mothers who grab the tips of their children’s ears aren’t really hurting them?” Belphegor asked with a frown.

“It can be a bit painful.” Haru said thoughtfully. “But it’s used more to shock their child into listening to them. A gentle tug of the ear will also convince a child to move because ears are sensitive.”

“Huh.” Belphegor said running a hand through his hair near the ear Haru had grabbed only to freeze.

“It also has the added benefit of distracting the person getting their ear pinched.” Haru said setting the crown she snagged down on the counter. “Now, Haru has groceries to put away and dinner to cook. Thank you for helping her today, desu.”

“You tricked me.” Belphegor said even as he let Haru push him towards the door.

“Isn’t that the point?” Haru asked pleased as he was soon on the doorstep.

“It was nice talking to you Sayuri-chan.” Lussuria said as he too was being lead to the door. “Make sure Haru-chan doesn’t overwork herself and Fran-chan is well cared for.”

“Always, Lussuria-san.” Sayuri said with a warm smile. “I hope my advice helps in some way. Thank you for the conversation.”

Sayuri bowed as Haru shut the door on the two assassins. It wasn’t long before the other girl was up bugging Fran about his laundry. Haru just laughed and moved to cook dinner for her small family.

She pointedly ignored the crown on the countertop. Even if Lussuria stopped by to drop off a bottle of tequila for her. She just rolled her eyes and set the bottle and crown aside to be dealt with latter.


	13. Haru's School of Cosplay

The thirteenth time she stole his crown, she wasn’t the one who did the actual stealing. She had her reservations about the Varia setting up shop so close to her house. It made her hackles rise almost as much as the thought of Interpol finally getting a clue and staking out her little abode.

Okay, so maybe she left that one cute Russian Interpol Agent handcuffed to his car after flirting with him. But she was slightly tipsy and in the middle of helping London steal some valuable artwork for a client. She didn’t leave a trace of herself and really Interpol should be pleased she left him alive and accounted for.

But that was beside the point.

The point was, she was expecting to be watched twenty-four-seven. Maybe finding someone trying to sneak a listening device or some other bug into her home. She heard enough about the fabled Varia Quality that even she was a bit leery of having them so close.

Even though she knew they weren’t from the higher command, they had to have something going for them. However, she could only facepalm as she checked in on her new neighbors. She was seated rather blatantly on a fence overlooking their backyard and the two men were arguing over how to cook rice for kami sake.

If she had her guns they would both be down in two seconds. She could tell even from a distance that they hadn’t replaced the windows with anything bulletproof. And she wasn’t sure how insane the Varia were, but most people would wonder about a young woman lounging on their fence.

The next few days of observing didn’t help their cause.

Sure, one had decent enough Mist Flames to hide the fact that both were not Japanese. But they seemed to miss the memo on maybe having some talent at blending in with the locals. It was so bad she had to ask Fran if the Varia really did do international assassinations rather than just domestic.

At best, she could write them off as being foreigners of Japanese decent that wanted to live in their ancestral country, and that was pushing it.

So, she hoped Xanxus would forgive her after about a month of their incompetence, it finally caused her to pounce on them. Literally. She took a jump off one of the fences and dropped them both to the cement before they realized she was baring down on them.

Then the two were sequestered into a waiting car and spirited away oblivious to the world.

When they finally came to, she had them secured into a pair of bolted down chairs across from her at a table. The room they were in was wall to wall cement and cinderblocks save a small slit of a window. Save for the iridescent light fixture situated strategically above the table, there was nothing else in the room for them to focus on.

“Good evening gentlemen.” She greeted as they both focused on them. “You have some explaining to do.”

“Who the fuck are you?” One of them snapped. He was a robust man that easily topped six foot with curly honey brown hair and squinting dark eyes. He would almost be handsome if his nose wasn’t crooked and his small lips were a bit more proportioned to his wide face.

“Fucking shut up, Alex.” The Mist hissed looking like he tried to kick his partner. This one was a small wiry fellow with stringy blond hair and blue eyes so large they took up most of his heart shaped face. He somehow reminded Haru of a mouse as he wildly looked around the room.

“You don’t know who Haru-chan is?” She asked blinking as she perked up slightly. “And Belphegor-san told Haru-chan you were supposed to be letting her some time off from watching over Kyoko-chan, desu.”

“Fuck.” Alex said squinting at her. “You’re the chick that stole the Prince’s crown and lived to tell about it.”

“Haru-chan admits that wasn’t her best moment.” Haru said shaking her head. “But she’s more concerned with you two, desu. Haru-chan can’t give up her duty to protect her friend if her replacements are… incompetent.”

“What the fuck do you mean incompetent?! We might not be high ranking but we’re still Quality damn it!” Alex exploded and for a brief second his body had sparks of green running along his muscles.

“Then explain to Haru-chan why you can’t seem to blend into Japan properly.” Haru said calmly propping her elbows on the table to cradle her chin over her folded hands. “Or the fact that Haru-chan got the drop on both of you in broad daylight.”

Alex cursed and looked anywhere but at her. She was slightly surprised to catch a glint in his eyes as he bit his lip. The way the Mist sighed made her realize he was indeed holding back tears.

“We are quality.” The Mist said softly slumping the best he could in the bindings she put him in. “We passed all the tests and shit. But we…we aren’t the ones picked for the better jobs.”  
The way he looked away from her made her want to sigh and give the pour man a hug.

“Then why were you picked to come to Japan, desu?” She asked gently shifting so her chin was resting on only one of her hands while the other fell softly to the table. She blinked her eyes at him and frowned, making sure to keep her body language as open and honest as she could.

“All the others were busy with real jobs.” The Mist hissed through a clenched frown.

Alex sniffed rather loudly then as he seemed to curl up on his chair.

“We just have to prove to them we can get a job done without any screw ups.” Alex said with a sigh. “We’re on our last strikes as it is.”

Haru wondered if it was a Lightning thing to be sensitive. She noticed Lambo and Verde were the same way. All talk but if things didn’t go their way they just went into an almost instant depression.

To some extent she noticed it in Levi as well.

“Okay.” She said sitting up.

“Okay?” The Mist asked with a frown.

“Yes, okay. Since you’re what Haru-chan must work with, she will just have to figure out how to do so. You two will finish this job with excellence after she’s done with you, desu!” Haru said feeling pumped.

“Um.” The two shared a confused look.

Haru wanted to cackle because if the two of them only knew. Besides, she knew how the Varia punished incompetence. She was going to make Xanxus regret moving people into the house closest to hers.

First, she learned their actual code names. Or as Haru liked to call them, their Varia names. Alex was just Alex while the Mist was Reggie.

Not the most creative she had ever heard, but sometimes believable was best.

“Welcome to Haru-chan’s School of Cosplay.” Haru said fussing over the two. “First things first, to be a good cosplayer one must know their character.”

“And this will help us how?” Reggie asked looking at her confused.

“Think of it this way.” She said crossing her arms. “You were assigned a target who has barricaded himself into VIP room of a hotel. He has his bodyguards surrounding him always and the only time he lets anyone in is if they’re a call girl. How do you infiltrate his rooms undetected to assassinate him?”

“Use Mist Flames to trick him into thinking the call girl is alone and taking them out.” Reggie said with a frown.

“But I don’t have Mist Flames.” Alex pointed out with a frown.

“Exactly. Besides, the guards would find it odd that the call girl didn’t leave shortly after things went quiet. Likely they would be posted at the bedroom door, so your exits would be limited to any windows in the bedroom or perhaps a balcony if there is one.” Haru said getting a slow nod from her two students.

“So, what do you suggest? We cross dress?” Reggie asked with a frown.

“Exactly! But not just put on a dress, some fake boobs, and some makeup. To really sell it you must give your call girl persona a character. What’s her name? Does she like champagne or wine? Would she prefer red or white if she preferred wine? What food allergies does she have? How did she get into the business? Stuff like that.”

“That’s pretty in depth.” Alex said blinking at her.

“Of course. The more you know, desu. The easier it is to sell it. Hahi! It’s like when people tell you to be something. Be the apple. You are the apple. If you believe it, then no one can tell you’re lying.” She said with a grin. “So, first things first, learning how to get into the mind of your character!”

In total she only gave them a two-week crash course on cosplay. She didn’t think either of them would dare cross her afterwards. Having a petite woman toss a large man across a room because he was purposely being frustrating would do that she supposed.

But her ultimate test for them was during their monthly report back to HQ. It was a two-day thing where they flew out of the country to report to their superior. Then they would come back, hopefully in one piece to continue their job.

She had gotten them to a point where they were successfully Japanese enough to blend in, even if they were using Mist Flames to hide their obvious foreignness. While she could still spot them a mile off as they carefully stalked Kyoko to keep her safe. Everyone else brushed off the two businessmen going about their day like everything was normal.

But her big test was rather simple if slightly dangerous. She tasked them with taking Belphegor’s crown and returning it safely to her. She even spent a few days teaching them how to pull it off without the prince knowing.

She sent the two off with hope and a prayer.

She showed up at their house three days later with a congratulatory dinner already prepared. Reggie was the one to tell her smugly how they worked together to steal the crown and sneak away. She couldn’t be prouder and gave them the greenlight to watch over Kyoko.

She wondered what Belphegor would do when he realized that she indirectly stole his crown from miles away in another country.

“You want to play a game, desu.” She said placing the new crown on a nice pillow with an indigo and green border. “Well game on, Belphegor-san.”

She wasn’t surprised when she didn’t receive any alcohol or a surprise visit from someone. But that was okay. Instead Alex brought another less than stellar operative to her with hopes she would help him as well.

She wondered if Xanxus would be upset with her if she stole all his less than par men. He didn’t seem to be getting a whole lot of use out of them anyway. Besides, Alex looked rather cute in a yukata, like an oversized bear toy.

She wondered if he would consent to her dressing him up as Cid Highwind and dragging him to a cosplay convention.


	14. Blackout

The fourteenth time she stole his crown, she was exceptionally drunk. She rarely drank but she did have her moments. Usually when the day her dad died, and her life took a turn, rolled around she spared herself a few well-deserved drinks.

She was even pretty responsible if she said so herself. She usually parked herself at a spot where she wouldn’t be bothered. Rather than going out on the town or something.

All Haru wanted was to find some place quiet and lay down for a bit. So, she went to the one place she knew no one would go looking for her. Verde hadn’t even looked up when she ghosted into his lab at Kokuyo Land.

The scientist now had the appearance of a teenager, fourteen or fifteen. It was the same for Reborn and Mammon the last time she saw the two. She was so happy the curse had been lifted since Reborn at least seemed more content rather than resigned.

Regardless, Verde was used to her ways by now. He even set up a comfortable chaise lounge for her in a corner of his lab where hardly anyone went. There were no experiments going on and the light barely reached this little corner of the lab through all the machinery.

Haru had flopped down and set a bag down. Inside was some of the cheapest high proof alcohol Haru could get her hands on. Not the stuff Xanxus would give her but it would do.

It was her one day that she set aside to feel sorry for herself. That meant going to the lengths of making it expectationally miserable. She figured after spending the rest of the time caring about so many other people she could spare this one moment for her own self-pity.

She wasn’t planning to go anywhere and aside from a few initial sobs in the beginning. She was more content to just continue knocking back gulps of alcohol while contemplating life. She would likely fall asleep eventually and Verde would be by to toss a blanket on her while making sure she wouldn’t throw up on herself or something while she slept.

She wasn’t at all expecting company to show up.

So, as she finished another bottle of some very cheap vodka, Haru blinked. She was sprawled half off the lounge with her feet propped up on the raised curve. As she peered through the darkness she realized she wasn’t drunk enough to mistake those boots.

“She’s over there.” She heard Verde say waspishly. “But if she throws a bottle at you, you’re paying for the damages. You hear me, Viper!”

Haru blinked slowly again and tilted her head.

The Varia in full uniform came around a rather large machine with Tsuna and the others, minus Bianchi and Kyoko.

“Unless the world is ending, leave. You’re interrupting Haru’s quiet time.” Haru said pointing to the spot they had just come from.

“Ushishi,” Belphegor almost flounced over to her, “you know, Kitsune. To drown yourself in alcohol, you must drink it. Not pretend your swimming in it.”

“Haru has been drinking.” She snapped back almost offended. “She figures if she hangs upside down it will work faster.”

“You’re already drunk, girly.” Squalo said with a sigh as he seemed to suddenly be there and was hoisting her into an upright position. “Just how much did you have to drink?”

“I _don’t_ know.” She said in an almost singsong way. “Haru lost count after the third fifth of really-really cheap vodka. It didn’t even have the balls to taste like paint thinner.”

She blinked as Xanxus almost doubled over in laughter.

“What’s his problem?” She asked ignoring the snorts from Squalo and Levi.

“Haru-chan, are you, all right?” Tsuna asked suddenly in her face. She leaned back away from him, so she could better focus on which of the two swaying Tsuna’s was the real one.

“Haru-chan is rather impaired, Great and Wonderful Tuna Fish. Impairment doesn’t mean invalid.” She said slowly so she could be understood properly. It only made Xanxus laugh harder while a few others seemed to hide chuckles.

“Tuna fish.” Belphegor was snickering behind his fist.

“Isn’t that his name?” Haru asked confused. “Tsuna-fish, Tu-na-yo-fish. You know what? Your name is a bitch to say. From now on, you are now dubbed, Chum Bucket. Chum for short. What’s up Chum?”

Xanxus was now leaning on Levi he was laughing too hard. Levi was having trouble staying upright with his laughter as well. Even Lussuria and Squalo were roaring though Squalo was hugging Haru close so she didn’t fall.

Yamamoto was behind the other of Tsuna’s present guardians practically drawing blood as he bit his fist to keep from laughing.

“Oh, gods, why aren’t we filming this?” Belphegor asked before pulling out his phone to do just that.

“Because we are already on hidden camera?” Haru argued back. “See. Up there. That glinting thing in the ceiling. Grumpy cat is watching. Grumpy cat disapproves.”

A few looked up before starting.

“There is a camera there.” Reborn said with a frown. “VERDE!”

“Someone has to keep an eye on her!” Verde shot back from wherever he was in the lab. “The last time she got that wasted she tried to throw a car and bought everything on the dollar menu at the nearest fast food restaurant.”

“That doesn’t seem so bad.” Haru said scrunching up her eyebrows. “Why do I get a feeling that it was bad?”

“You bought out everything.” Verde said appearing around a machine. “Over a thousand hamburgers, more than six thousand little containers of fries, don’t even get me started on the little cakes.”

“Oh~!” She said perking up. “Haru remembers now. She got really sick from trying to eat all of it. But food sounds good. Did you bring Haru food?”

“You ate before you started drinking, remember?” Verde said with a bit of a sigh.

“Vaguely? Like as if it were a dream. Only a dream.” Haru said remembering she did in fact eat before she began binging on cheap alcohol. “Why are we interrupting my quiet time again?”

“Kyoko is missing. Have you seen her?” Tsuna asked almost like he already knew she wouldn’t be helpful.

“Kyo-ko-ko?” She slurred knitting her eyebrows together. “Just a second, Chum.”

She fumbled with her phone, nearly dropping it twice. She cursed as she had it flipped the wrong way. But she soon had it right side up as she carefully punched in a number.

“We tried her phone.” Gokudera complained but Haru wasn’t listening to him. Instead she was successfully putting the ringing tone on speaker phone.

Two rings.

“Moshi-Moshi.” A male voice picked up sounding like he had just woken up.

“Alek, Alek.” Haru chirped and because of reasons started speaking quickly in Russian. “Where are you and where is the princess? Chum Bucket is here looking for her and interrupting Haru’s quiet time. Is Rags okay? What happened? You sound like someone knocked you out again. You weren’t knocked out, were you? Do I have to tell you all about the long term medical complications of too many concussions again?”

“Onee-san! Slow down!” Alex snapped. “My Russian isn’t _that_ good. What are you asking?”

“Where’s Princess Peach and are you okay?” She asked almost in slow motion, so he would understand.

“You’re drunk, aren’t you?” He snorted.

“Very, now answer the question.” She agreed with good cheer.

“Sasagawa is fine.” Alex reported. “We’re at some resort get away Bianchi-san dragged her to. Reggie is inside keeping an eye on her until they leave. I was just taking a nap because one of us has to drive back.”

“Oh! Okay! Where’s this resort?” Haru asked swaying slightly.

“North of the city two towns over.” He paused, and she could hear him shifting. “The Blue Dragon Spa.”

“On the east side, in block seventeen, right?” She asked perking up.

“Yea,” He drawled, “I still find the fact you know almost every block and district in a thousand-mile radius of Namimori creepy.”

“It helps me get around. Well, goodnight Alek. Sleep tight. Drive safe. And all that jazz.” Haru said getting a snort form him before he unceremoniously hung up on her. Haru looked over at Tsuna and switched back to Japanese. “See, there you go, Kyo-ko-ko is safe.”

“You have people guarding her?” Reborn asked looking surprised.

“No,” Haru denied. “X-Meister has people watching her for her safety.”

“And you know their numbers?” Gokudera asked surprised.

“Haru knows many things.” Haru said solemnly. “The people supposedly making sure her best friend is safe when Chum Bucket puts her up on a shelf is one of them.”

“I don’t put her on a shelf.” Tsuna said with a sigh.

“Uh-huh,” Haru drawled unimpressed, “I will believe that when I see it.”

“I don’t.” Tsuna defending an Haru narrowed her eyes at him with a frown.

She was back messing with her phone. It took her a few long seconds before she found what she was looking for. She grinned and pressed play.

“ _What are we going to tell the girls?_ ” Yamamoto’s voice came from the speakers.

“ _Nothing, the less they know the better._ ” Tsuna said in a strong assertive tone.

“ _Tsuna,_ ” Yamamoto sighed, “ _they can be targeted too._ ”

“ _They’ll be fine. No one knows about them. If they don’t show up they won’t get hurt._ ” Tsuna said before the recording dropped off.

“Where’d you get that?!” Tsuna almost screeched and went for her phone.

Haru gracefully pulled it away from his grasp and slipped around to the other side of Squalo.

“Nu-uh,” Haru stuck her tongue out at him, “My phone. Besides, the less you know the better.”

Belphegor snorted as he suddenly wrapped his arms around Haru’s shoulders.

“Leave her alone, Sawada.” Belphegor said simply. “You’re clearly out matched on this one. _We_ didn’t even know she knew the operatives we put in place in Namimori. We knew she knew where they were staying but there’s been no indication she actually approached them.”

“You mean this whole time you could have called them?” Tsuna asked turning on Xanxus.

“Of course, trash.” Xanxus boasted. “But you were insistant that Miura knew where your little girlfriend was.”

“Haru didn’t, but she knew how to find her.” Haru said happily.

“Stay out of this.” Tsuna glared at her making her blink.

“A little hard to do when Haru is stuck in the middle.” She said pointing out the fact that they indeed all surround her. “Haru was trying to relax with a bit of quiet time. She didn’t ask for you to barge in here and make a scene.”

“Oh, for the love of god.” Gokudera rolled his eyes. “Woman, get over here.”

“Haru’s name isn’t woman. She also isn’t a dog. If you boys are going to fight, do so outside of Verde-chan’s lab. He has some very expensive, finely calibrated, and sometime volatile machinery that won’t like Flames being tossed around all willy-nilly like.”

“Exactly!” Verde said happily. “Finally, someone who understands.”

“Or at least read the safety rules.” Haru said with a smirk pointing in the direction she knew the plaque was. “You spelled it out for them in the easiest words possible. Why they don’t understand is a mystery.”

“Their limited brain capacity makes their intelligence lacking.” Verde said pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“Huh,” Haru blinked, “that explains so much.”

Haru knew the men were talking around her about something. But she tuned them out to aim for another of the bottles she had brought with her. She misjudged the distance and found herself rolling onto her back as she nearly crashed on the ground.

“Fucking momentum.” She said rubbing her head where she clipped her lounge. “Why can’t physics be nice and suspend its disbelief for Haru’s awesomeness?”

She thought about that for a moment before pouting, “Because gravity is a cruel mistress.”

She shook her head and snagged the bottle she had been aiming for. Only for someone to snatch it out of her grasp. She gaped and grabbed at the air where the bottle had been.

“Where’d you go?” She asked before looking up.

“You had enough woman.” Gokudera almost snarled at her. “You can’t even stand properly.”

“Oh, Haru can stand. She’s just having a bit of trouble with balance and judging distance.” She said blinking at him before reaching out with grabby hands. “Give me back Bubbles. Haru must drink.”

“No, do you want to get alcohol poisoning?” He snapped moving the bottle away from her.

“Haru won’t get alcohol poisoning.” Haru pouted before perking up.

Instantly she was up and right in front of the Vongola Storm.

She kicked the back of his knee and slammed her palm into his side, right were his lower ribs were. With him folded down enough she grabbed the back of his neck and pushed his face down. She brought her knee up right then and almost smiled as she heard his face crunch before his head snapped back up.

She used the momentum of her high knee to twist herself into a roundhouse kick. Her foot nailing him right in the solar plexus with enough force to send him toppling away from her. She stuck the landing and her hand shot out to the side.

Her fingers clasped tightly around the neck of the bottle that had come loose from his grip. She pulled it into cradle against her chest. Then she cocked a hip and looked down her nose at the Storm who was glaring up at her, face bloody.

“My Bubbles.” She sniffed before turning with a hair flip and gracefully sauntering over to her chaise lounge. Her movements were fluid as she draped herself across the soft cushions and opened the bottle.

“I thought she said she had trouble with balance and distance.” She heard Ryohei loudly whisper to Yamamoto who’s shoulders silently shook over in the corner.

“Kitsune,” Belphegor said with a snicker, “don’t waste your sexy bitch card on the worthless peasant.”

Haru gave a dismissive shrug while taking a swig from the bottle.

“Come on,” Yamamoto said finally getting his amusement under control. “Let’s get you looked at. She might have broken your nose.”

“Fuck you! Baseball freak!” Gokudera hissed though he could barely be understood through the blood.

Yamamoto sent Squalo a grin and nod as he helped Gokudera up. It took Ryohei’s prodding to get the Storm moving to the exit however. Tsuna was quick to follow while sending Haru concerned looks over his shoulder, but Reborn was insistent that as boss Tsuna had to be there for his men.

After they left she paused to raise an eyebrow at the Varia.

“So, what are you drinking, trash?” Xanxus grinned at her and she scrunched up her nose.

“It’s Haru’s. Go get your own.” She snapped before pausing and pointing the top of the bottle at him. “And don’t come back.”

Xanxus snorted but his grin just doubled.

Haru blinked as it seemed almost instant before Levi had left and returned with alcohol for the men around her. She wondered how he teleported like that. Then figured Xanxus would have at least a few bottles in whatever vehicle he was being chauffeured in.

Haru would want to say she could remember what happened after that. But by then she had gotten drunk enough that things sort of got blurry. She just hoped anything too embarrassing would never come back to haunt her.

She woke up late in the morning the next day. She almost groaned as she tried to get her body to function. She never really got a classic hangover like she heard about in the movies, or books, or from stories the other girls told.

Instead she just seemed to be stuck under a large rock of exhaustion.

She almost didn’t want to move from the cozy nest of blankets she found herself in. But she would have to function in society soon and that meant rising from the dead. She lifted her head a bit only for it to drop when the effort seemed too much.

It was only then she realized she was half sprawled on someone. She blinked as quickly as she could, which was sadly at a snail’s pace. But as she pulled her arm into view she noticed it was clothed.

Though she hadn’t been wearing a large wine-colored silk button down when she started drinking the day before. She also didn’t wear anything made from such fine material. She avoided the more expensive materials because her wardrobe was at war with her life most of the time.

With a titanic effort, she pulled herself into a seated position. She realized she was wearing a pair of sleeping pants that were a size too large as well. Her bra was missing but she was pretty sure she was still wearing the same panties she had on before.

She rubbed her eyes and yawned as she slowly looked around the room. Despite her body being set to slow-mo, her mind was quick to supply her with the information she needed. Namely, she was on one of the luxurious western beds of one of the more expensive hotels Namimori had to offer.

It made sense, as she looked down.

Xanxus wasn’t nearly as pissed off in his sleep. It did wonders to shave years off his already youthful visage. It was hard for her to remember that technically he was eight years older than his physical appearance, especially when he looked nearly five years younger in sleep.

She vaguely wondered how she ended up cuddling against him in bed.

But her focus was more on finding her clothes and maybe some caffeine. It took a few aborted attempts before she was on her feet on the side of the bed. Then she did her best zombie shuffle for the door.

She nearly cursed when she forgot to pause and open it before walking right into it.

She shook her head slowly at herself and managed to get her hand to function enough to slip out of the room. She paused as she looked around the hotel room she walked into. The VIP suite the Varia tended to rent was always quite large and looked more like an apartment than anything.

The large living area/mini kitchen was pretty destroyed. It looked like a group of college students broke in and tried to have a toga party. She looked up and blinked seeing what appeared to be Squalo’s prosthetic hand hanging from the chandelier by a strip of flimsy toilet paper.

“Worse piñata ever.” She decided in a slow drawl.

She just about jumped when someone snorted. She would have jumped if she had the energy. Instead she slowly turned to the source of the noise.

“I’m glad to see you up and about, darling.” Lussuria said in a hushed voice. “Would you like anything?”

“Caffeine pills and an energy drink?” She asked before blinking. “And maybe some toast.”

“Will coffee suffice?” He asked with a grin. “You don’t want any aspirin?”

“Haru is just really exhausted after a night of drinking.” She said moving to flop down at the large table in the dinning area. “She’s fine but don’t expect her to expend too much energy.”

Lussuria beamed at her and went to get her some breakfast. She idly watched him from her seat as her eyelids drooped again. Her mind quickly cataloguing all it could with her still rather impaired motor skills.

The cup of coffee he gave her had a warmth to it that had nothing to do with the temperature of the coffee machine. She nearly spat it out but thought that would be rude. It still left a slightly irritable tingling to the roof of her mouth, especially when her English Breakfast had the same tingling warmth to it.

Her shishou once told her about Flame infused food. She also encountered it with Verde oddly enough. It wasn’t exactly harmful, but it could be unpleasant depending on the Flame Type and the person offering.

In Lussuria’s case, Haru figured he was just used to providing the others with a little pick-me-up after a night of heavy drinking.

“So, what happened to Haru’s clothes?” She asked after another cup of coffee finally got her over the uphill battle of waking up.

“They got covered in flour and vegetable oil when you decided to teach Bel-chan how to bake cookies while wasted.” Lussuria said with a grin. “I got you changed before you passed out and finished washing your clothes earlier.”

“Ah,” She said tugging at the hem of the shirt she was wearing, “Xanxus?”

“It was at the top of the laundry basket.” Lussuria shrugged. “The pants are Mammon’s. He even graciously decided not to charge you for them since you two are the only ones close enough in size.”

Haru yawned again. She was awake enough to function, not go on a maniac spree. She shook her head and stretched.

“So, where’d Haru pass out anyway?” She said looking around.

“Oh that,” Lussuria said with a grin, “you were at least responsible enough to pick a random bed to pass out on. Boss just refused to get kicked out of his own bed because you have pretty sharp reflexes. Turns out you aren’t so dangerous if the person sleeping next to you gives you a bit of space.”

Haru almost grunted. “She usually has the children crawling into bed with her if they have nightmares. It would be bad if she hurt them while sleeping.”

Another cup of coffee and Haru was finally ready to face the world. Apparently, the others wouldn’t be awake before noon, so Haru helped Lussuria restore some order to the room before leaving. She just checked that all her missing clothes were in the bag Lussuria gave her before saying her farewell and trudging her way home.

It was only after she got home that she found the crown among her things. There was even a hilarious picture of her and Belphegor covered in baking ingredients with her plucking the crown off his head as he tried to get chocolate powder out of his hair. She shook her head and made a note to slip Mammon some cash because the Mist was being a bit too generous to uphold his miser image.


	15. Out With The Girls

The fifteenth time she stole his crown, she had been once again protecting Kyoko. To be fair, it had been a girls’ day preplanned in advanced. Neither Kyoko, Chrome, nor Bianchi could make it to Haru’s eighteenth birthday so planned the day instead.

Haru hadn’t mind they were all busy. She had a small birthday dinner with Yamamoto, Hibari, Fran, and Sayuri at her house before needing to get dolled up for the party her new and growing crime syndicate threw for her. That had been enough for Haru and while she adored her minions she wasn’t big on entertaining crowds if she wasn’t dressed in some cosplay costume.

She figured some of Hibari’s habits were rubbing off on her.

Anyway, it had been a quiet girls’ day. They went out for a bit of clothes shopping, stopped at their favorite cake shop, and were planning to take a trip to one of the local beauty bouquets for some fun makeovers. Bianchi insisted they head out to one of the dance clubs and let their hair down for the night.

There were no plans to get abducted by Vongola’s enemies.

Haru sighed as she woke up tied to a chair with the other girls at her side. It said a lot about her life that this seemed more of an annoyance than terrifying. She just had to figure out how they tied her to the chair, how many people lay between them and the exit, and if they had some sort of vehicle she could successfully steal.

As her mind quickly catalogued everything, she heard the other girls waking up next to her.

“FUCKING BASTASRDS! WHEN MY BELOVED HEARS OF THIS! YOU WILL ALL BE DEAD!”

Bianchi was not a morning person.

“Kyoko-chan are you well?”

Chrome was a bit too kind at times.

Then again, all Haru heard from Kyoko was a whimper making her turn to the other girl.

“Kyoko-chan?” Haru asked noticing the tears making Kyoko’s eyes glisten.

“What’s happening? Why’d they take us?” Kyoko asked eyes darting around.

It struck Haru that the idol honestly didn’t know what to make of this situation. Like it had never crossed her mind that she might be in danger. Once again Haru wondered just how much Tsuna told Kyoko and how much he withheld for her “safety”.

“We were kidnapped.” Chrome explained slowly and calmly. “Likely to get to the boys.”

“Boys?” Kyoko sniffled.

“Tsuna-san and the others.” Haru provided as she twisted her hands about behind her.

The ropes they used were surprisingly thick making it harder to make effective knots. She wondered just how professional the people that took her were, if they didn’t consider the implications what thick ropes and small wrists meant. She didn’t think they would appreciate her lecture on how to properly keep captives, well, captive.

“But why would they want to use us to get to Tsu-kun?” Kyoko asked looking ready to bawl. “He promised he wasn’t really into the whole mafia thing anymore.”

Haru felt herself sighing in unison with Chrome and Bianchi. There were days all three tried to tell the high school idol what was really going on. Like the day she announced she was set to go into the police force after school because her plans as a ballerina fell through.

All three were unsuccessful in conveying the gravity of Tsuna’s involvement in the mafia. The boy in question having convinced his girlfriend that the extent of his dealings with the mafia was holding onto a few family heirlooms. In point, Kyoko knew almost nothing about what Tsuna and the others got up to since starting high school.

Haru wondered if today would be the day Kyoko realized she was living in a rose-colored bubble.

She doubted it though.

At that point the antagonist for this little misadventure sauntered in looking all too smug with himself. He was flamboyant in a way that Lussuria made classy without none of the Sun’s flair. Haru almost didn’t hear any of his boasting after he indicated that he was Elmo Mondadori, head of the Mondadori Famiglia.

Haru had a veritable database of Mafia Families as well as a good chunk of freelance movers and shakers at home. She went as far as to lift an issue of the Mafia News from Reborn and figure out how to get her own copies without the threat of stealing from the World’s Greatest Hitman. So as Mondadori talked, Haru was recalling everything she could about his Famiglia.

It wasn’t much since the Mondadori were more like small fish in a big pond.

She did pull up some key facts though. Like the Mondadori weren’t one of the nice Famiglia, their main trade being cocaine. But the deciding factor for Haru was the fact they were in no way associated with anything Vongola.

In other words, free game.

After he sauntered off to wait for his grand scheme to come into fruition. She blinked as he posted some goons to watch over them. So, he wasn’t a complete idiot, a point for him then.

“What was he saying?” Haru asked the others without taking her eyes off the two goons. “Haru got lost wondering if he was going for circus reject or drag queen with that outfit.”

Bianchi at least sputtered in amusement.

“Haru-chan, this isn’t time for jokes.” Kyoko hissed looking worried.

“It’s the perfect time for some humor, desu.” Haru rolled her eyes. “It helps relieve the stress of being, you know, abducted.”

“She does have a point.” Chrome chirped with a smile. “Besides, the boys will be here soon, and we’ll go back to our plans for today. Mukuro-sama already knows we might need some assistance.”

“But what about the trap?” Kyoko asked with a frown. “They could get hurt.”

“They’re boys.” Bianchi said rolling her eyes. “If they don’t get in their daily dose of rough housing they start breaking things.”

“Or throwing grenades.” Haru said with a fond smile as she thought of Lambo.

“Besides, we can get out of here on our own. We don’t need them to rescue us.” Chrome pointed out with a smile. She was in fact the other half of Tsuna’s Mist Guardian after all.

“Did they take any of our jewelry?” Haru asked pretending to look around and try to look behind her. “Haru was wearing a necklace daddy gave her. She will be so upset if they took it.”

“I can feel my rings and necklaces.” Bianchi said turning to Chrome. “What about you?”

“I have the ring Mukuro-sama gave me.” Chrome said ducking her head as if embarrassed.

Haru smirked. So, they had the Vongola Mist Gear on their side. That would make this a whole lot easier.

“Why are we worrying about our jewelry at a time like this?” Kyoko asked looking between them. “Shouldn’t we be worrying about being tied to chairs?”

There was a note of panic to the girl’s voice now, causing it to jump an octave. Haru almost flinched at the sound. But instead she smiled and raised an eyebrow at the look Bianchi was sending her.

Haru shrugged and held up her freed hands making Kyoko’s mouth drop. A glare from Bianchi silenced the other girl from loudly asking how Haru got free. Which was good, because Haru didn’t want the guards alerted as she reached down and undid the ropes tying her ankles to the chair legs.

Once fully free, Haru motioned for the other girls to keep quiet. Or rather, keep talking about mundane stuff so she could sneak up on the guards. Only Bianchi and Chrome seemed to get the memo.

“So, do you think we will still be able to make our appointment at the nail salon?” Chrome asked.

“We should be fine. So long as the boys show up in the next twenty minutes or so.” Bianchi responded.

“How would they know were to find us?” Kyoko asked timidly, probably watching tensely as Haru slipped up to the first goon.

“You honestly think Sawada wouldn’t have someone looking out for you?” Bianchi asked startled.

“Why would he have someone looking out for me? Why would he even have people he could call on to even do that?” Kyoko asked sounding so very confused.

Haru sparred the goon this time. She didn’t want Kyoko going all self-righteous about her killing someone. Even if being abducted and held against their will would make it slightly justifiable.

The first goon went down silently as Haru pinched a vein with her hand over his mouth. A handful of seconds at most and he was going limp into her arms. She silently brought him down onto the ground before moving up behind goon number two.

The man just about turned to address the inane chatter from the other girls when Haru struck.

With both men unconscious for the time being. Haru bounced up and dashed back to untie her three friends. Chrome and Bianchi shared a high five after they could stand.

Haru pointedly didn’t let them see her eye roll.

Kyoko was a bit clinging after she was free. Luckily Bianchi got the high schooler to cling to Chrome who activated her Mist gear. It would mean Kyoko would be completely covered without Haru and Bianchi having to worry.

Haru on the other hand quickly patted down the two goons and came up with a pair of nine-millimeter Smith & Wesson handguns. They weren’t overly large, she recognized the M&P Shield stamped on the barrel and nearly sighed. She hoped they had the eight-round magazine rather than the seven.

“Here, you know how to shoot right?” She said handing one of the guns to Bianchi while still searching to see if the goons had extra magazines on them. They both unfortunately had the seven-round magazine and seven rounds might not get them out of this situation if it turned into a shootout.

“Yea, how do you know?” Bianchi said inspecting the gun before frowning. “I never used this type of gun before. What type of safety is this?”

“It has a thumb safety.” Haru said standing up to show the woman where the safety was. “And Haru took a class because she wanted to be certified to have a Taser gun for protection.”

Not to mention Moscow absolutely refused to work with someone who didn’t know anything about guns. Really, if it wasn’t for that Russian, Haru would never have picked up a gun at all. It still surprised her since her preferred weapon happened to be a firearm.

“Huh,” Bianchi said turning to a wall and pointing the gun away from the other girls as she tried to check her sight. “I can work with this. How about after all of this is over we go to a firing range and compare notes?”

“Tsuna-san won’t approve.” Haru said rolling her eyes as she tossed the woman two of the four extra magazines she found. Twenty-one bullets each, in a pair of guns with questionable sights and cleanliness.

Haru decided if she had to take a shot she would aim for center mass first and hope the gun didn’t jam.

“So where do you want? Up front or covering the rear?” Haru asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Do you know where we should be going?” Bianchi asked while they ignored how Kyoko snapped her head back and forth between them. Chrome just stood there relaxed resting her trident on her shoulder waiting for them to move out.

“Haru recognizes the standard architecture of one of the older warehouses. If we can find a car she’s pretty sure she can get us out of here.” Haru said getting a nod from Bianchi.

“I’ll cover the rear.” She said with a smirk. “So, let’s move out.”

They hugged the walls as Haru led them to one of the fire exits. Like she suspected the old exit wasn’t guarded and it was almost too easy for the four of them to slip out. Then again Chrome’s Illusions helped keep anyone from really noticing them as they slipped up to a nice Honda Grace.

It took a second as Haru pulled out her phone, but almost like magic the car unlocked itself and the engine started. Chrome dragged Kyoko into the back seat while Bianchi took the front passenger. Haru handed over the gun she had to the other woman as she shifted the car into drive and floored it.

The Mondadori didn’t even give chase as Haru easily maneuvered the car into the steady stream of traffic.

“So where to ladies?” Haru asked checking Chrome and Kyoko in the review mirror. Chrome was relaxing with a smirk while Kyoko was slowly sagging with relief.

“I’m hungry.” Chrome decided. “Think we can stop and pick up something to eat?”

“Food sounds good to me.” Bianchi said stretching. “What are we feeling?”

“Mexican?” Haru suggested. “Haru could totally go for some of Aotani-san’s tacos right about now.”

“Absolutely!” Chrome agreed, and Bianchi snorted.

“Mexican it is.” She said with a laugh. “How are you holding up back there, princess?”

“How can you three be so calm about this? We were just abducted and escaped and you’re talking about food?!” Kyoko’s voice steadily rose until it hit a high note at the end.

“We’re Mafia.” Bianchi said like that explained everything.

“Boss gets into more trouble than that.” Chrome put in as if that would allay Kyoko’s panic. “No one was hurt, and we’re not being used as bait for a trap. Although, we probably should tell the boys we’re safe.”

“Leave that to Haru.” Haru said as she pulled into the parking lot of Aotani’s Mexican Delights. The restaurant was opened by one of the more colorful civilians of Namimori who fell in love with Mexican cuisine after going on a trip to Guadalajara.

As the girls entered and got a seat, Haru pulled out her phone to text Reggie. Whom, now that she thought about it, was probably sweating bullets. She decided to add a few smiley faces to her text to cheer him up.

_Hi! Don’t worry! We got tired of being damsels and went to get tacos! Hugs!_

She hit send and turned back to making sure she got what she wanted off the menu.

She was unsurprised that halfway through their meal, Tsuna almost burst into the restaurant with Gokudera trailing behind him like a lost puppy. Reborn followed at a more sedated pace with a snickering Belphegor, a smug Squalo, and a smiling Yamamoto. Ryohei took up the rear and only perked up when he saw Kyoko fighting with Haru over the coveted chips and guacamole.

“Aw, you made Haru mess up the party count.” She said seeing the two Varia members. She shook her head and turned to the counter. “Ojii-san! Bring two more chairs!”

“Right away, Haru-chan!” The man called back.

She was pointedly ignoring how Tsuna was fussing over Kyoko. Instead she took the moment to snatch away the basket of tortilla chips and the two bowls of guacamole and salsa. She didn’t even look up when the two additional chairs were soon brought to their table and the boys all found seats.

“Reborn my love!” Bianchi practically threw herself on the hitman.

“I hope you like Mexican.” Haru said to the two Varia members while Yamamoto nodded to the waitress. The woman already bouncing off with drink orders none of the boys gave.

“Do they at least have good tamales?” Squalo asked with a huff.

“The best in Namimori.” Haru confirmed as she nearly slapped Belphegor’s hand from stealing her basket of chips. “My chips.”

“You’re really protective of your food, Kitsune.” Belphegor said with a chuckle. “Aren’t you at least glad to see the prince?”

“Haru is overflowing with joy, desu.” She drawled. “But they’re still my chips.”

“So, how’d you girls ditch those perverts?” Reborn asked after Bianchi went back to her seat to save her jalapeno poppers from Haru’s nibble fingers.

“A combination of Haru’s ninja skills, Chrome’s distractions, and Bianchi’s supervision.” Haru answered simply getting a snort from the three girls.

“That’s perhaps the most accurate description of the whole event.” Chrome said giggling behind her hand.

“We were fine. They didn’t even notice us sneak pass.” Bianchi said with a roll her eyes. “Speaking of which, missy, you owe me an arcade game.”

“Haru will pencil it into her very busy schedule.” Haru said snagging some of Chrome’s refried beans.

“Don’t worry boss, Kyoko-chan was never in any danger with us there.” Chrome said when Tsuna looked like he was gearing up to give the three girls a dressing down.

“Exactly, I was supervising.” Bianchi said tossing her hair behind her shoulder.

“Speaking of your busy schedule,” Yamamoto said gaining Haru’s attention, “are you still going to that meeting with Hibari-san?”

“Unless it’s canceled due to the weather.” Haru said getting a nod from Yamamoto. “Why? Need me to tell him something?”

“He just wanted some files.” Yamamoto said with a shrug making Haru nod slowly.

“Haru will swing by later to pick them up, desu.” Haru said and nearly pounced on top of Belphegor’s head when he almost snagged her chips away. “Leave Haru’s chips alone. Haru knows your delicate ego can’t stand her talking to other people when you’re right there. But let the grownups talk.”

“The prince happens to be an adult you know.” He sniffed.

“Then stop acting like a two-year-old, desu.” She said rolled her eyes.

She was vaguely aware that Yamamoto was laughing at her as she began squabbling with Belphegor over his apparent age. Somewhere in there she really did pounce on him when he stole her plate of soft shell tacos. She got away with her food and his crown intact while also snagging quite a bit of his own enchilada in the process.

By the end of the meal, Haru wasn’t exactly sure if any of the girls told the boys the real story on how they escaped. But from the way Bianchi and Chrome sent dirty looks at Kyoko who was nervously holding a content Tsuna’s hand, she would bet they stuck to the basic story. Sometimes it was nice having female bros she could count on.

This time when Mammon stopped by with a bottle of tequila he brought the margarita mix to go with it. He also left without the details of their escape. She did remember to give him the envelope of cash she intended to give him for the pants and picture from the last time she got Belphegor’s crown though.

She did get word from Reggie and Alex that they were still in the clear though. She would like to go on record to say that knowledge didn’t make her sigh in relief. She was just exhausted from work is all.


	16. Love Doctor

The sixteenth time she stole his crown, it started as Hiroyuki’s fault. Now Hiroyuki was an interesting minion she inherited after the first yakuza group she took over. He was the highest-ranking member after she got rid of the entire upper management of the group, and despite everything was doing his best to maintain the values and traditions of his previous crime syndicate.

In fact, she had a growing panel of these men each from the now three groups she acquired, with room for more from the two groups she had her eye on. But Hiroyuki was the first appointed advisor so became chairman and spokesperson for her yakuza minions. The fact he was a personable young man that even her newly acquired minions respected helped his cause.

They had been hard at work meshing together rules and regulations and traditions to make the three groups one big happy family. It wasn’t always pretty and sometimes she had to step in to smooth things over. But they set aside some of their longstanding grievances to make this work and be stronger for it.

Unfortunately for Haru, one of the BIGGEST and almost unanimous agreements they came to was she needed an heir.

So, she introduced them to one of her most prized possessions, Hikaru. The adorable toddler with her dark brown hair and eyes as blue as a night sky. She had long since gotten over cringing every time she saw his eyes and was just now enjoying raising him and Hotaru.

Hiroyuki and the other minions spazzed for at least a week after being introduced to the child. None of them knew he existed which, as Haru liked to point out, was part of the point. If she was known for being protective of Lambo, I-Pin, and Fuuta than it was sort of worse when it came to Hikaru and Hotaru.

Needless to say, her yakuza minions adored Hikaru. He went from having three male role models to having an army of them. They were all set on planning out how to groom him into being the best future boss imaginable.

Haru would first like to say that it had made her initially leery. But, in the end she knew her baby would be protected, much like his sister already was. Besides, she supposed there were worse things in the world than being groomed from toddlerhood to take over a crime syndicate.

At the very least he would never grow up to be a tool.

But, her ultimate plan backfired. She was all for letting them turn her little boy into the next big crime boss. She was however viciously against them toting the toddler around for posterity.

So, she was at an impasse. The group had to have some visible signs she was at least moving in the direction of producing an heir. But she nearly shot Hiroyuki for suggesting they put her son on display to show she already had one.

Then came the list.

Hiroyuki had compiled it to help ease the tensions. It was a list of all the approved bachelors he could find that were around her age. Some weren’t even linked to the yakuza which was nice.

Her minions promised they would back off from flaunting Hikaru if she agreed to go on a few dates from the list. They even had a matchmaker check to make sure each name on the list would be compatible with her, so the pairing would look believable. That was all they were asking, a date or two to make it seem like she was searching for a life partner and they would back off.

Hiroyuki pointed out she didn’t have to commit to anything if she didn’t want. But if she did find someone she liked enough to start dating seriously, more power to her. She secretly thought her yakuza minions were closet romantics and promised herself to never introduce them to Belphegor.

This was how she ended up seated across from a handsome nineteen-year-old aspiring actor that went to one of the more exclusive colleges in the city. His name was Masaru Chikafuji and was loosely related to an accountant that worked for one of the last two rival yakuza groups in Namimori. The tall dark haired dark eyed young man with his charming smile was also so full of himself she was surprised he wasn’t leaking narcissism wherever he went.

Haru had sat through about thirty minutes of listening to him expound about how great an actor he was. She wondered if her boredom was on display as she sat rigidly in her seat. Straight back, shoulders back, legs pointedly crossed away from him.

She almost had her arms crossed save for the fact she was holding the glass of red wine that came with her dinner. He wasn’t even looking at her as she instead focused on watching the swirling liquid in the glass. A glance up showed he was still grinning about his latest stage production.

She would have found it interesting if it wasn’t all about how the audience fawned over his portrayal of secondary character. She understood being proud of a performance. But talking up a role like he was the lead character rather than his actual role was just droll.

The way he made it sound like the audience were applauding only him made her lose interest in the conversation a long time ago.

Did she mention this was the third time he was talking about this?

“Ushishi,” she refused to close her eyes and sigh, “what’s this? Miura-san fancy seeing you here. You normally don’t waste money like this.”

She let her eyes drift to the side to spy Belphegor. She pointedly let her eyes drift even slowly from the prince’s blond locks down his tailored black suit with a silk dress shirt down even further to his very expensive Italian leather shoes. She then let her eyes drift up even slower before focusing on where she knew his eyes were behind his fringe.

He licked his lips before he grinned at her in an almost cocky fashion.

“Excuse me.” Chikafuji sputtered as he looked between them.

“Belphegor-sama,” she almost purred pleasantly, “I wasn’t aware you were in town. Though it is nice to see you again. Are you here for business?”

“And a bit of leisure.” He said pleasantly. If he was at anyway affected by her address he didn’t show it. “My associates and I just stopped in for some food before heading to our hotel.”

He nodded to the side and Haru turned curious. She spotted Xanxus and the others smirking at her. So, she smiled and waved pleasantly.

“That is a surprise. I take it you’re here to talk about that oversees thing with Sawada-san. It’s so nice you are all getting along.” She said turning back to Belphegor.

“It takes a bit to get around culture clashes.” Belphegor said tilting his head. “But we’ve seem to reach a middle ground. And what brings you here?”

Haru could tell Belphegor was peering at her date even though the blonde barely seemed to move a centimeter. Chikafuji puffed up not getting he had the sights of a trained assassin on him. Ignorance is bliss, or that was Haru’s hope.

“I’m Chikafuji Masaru. Miura-san’s date.” The man across from her said with a sniff.

Haru wanted to either sigh or bang her head against the table. Instead she smiled pleasantly at the slight frown Belphegor had. She hoped Chikafuji didn’t go missing right after her date with him, she hated unwanted complications.

“Oh?” Belphegor asked and Haru could feel him look at her.

“Really, Belphegor-sama. Am I so unappealing that the thought of me dating is that shocking?” She asked almost playfully getting a pause before he grinned.

“Hardly, my dear.” Haru almost snorted. “I’m just surprised you found the time with your busy schedule. How is your job going?”

“Quite well.” She said with a smile. “Speaking of which, I have to go to work in a few hours…”

Belphegor graciously bowed out to let her finish her date. Chikafuji however wasn’t as poised. The young man glared at her and almost pouted.

“Just who was that, Miura-san?” He asked hackle raised and a shrewd look to his face. “I would think you wouldn’t be the type to entertain foreigners.”

“Belphegor-sama,” And didn’t that sound weird coming from her, “is European royalty. And I know him through a good friend I made in middle school that owns an international company. As a favor to him, I showed Belphegor-sama around a few times. He is quite pleasant company despite not knowing all our cultural norms.”

She pointedly ignored the fact she could see the way Levi and Squalo nearly choked on their food out of the corner of her eye. If the way Mammon was suddenly furiously texting away was any indication, Haru would be unsurprised to find some sort of listening device stuck somewhere near them. She decided Belphegor more than earned a drop kick from this.

“Royalty you say?” Chikafuji asked sounding unconvinced.

“Yes, in fact his country, though much smaller these days, is still independent.” Haru was so glad she paid attention to Belphegor’s ramblings over his country. Not only did she find the actual little kingdom herself, she did hours of research in hopes of figuring the prince out a bit more.

That however seemed to be enough for Chikafuji who huffed and turned calculating eyes on her.

“And what’s this about you having a job? Only night clubs are open this late.” He said with a sniff.

“And the hospital.” Haru said primly making him pause and blink. “Haru works in the emergency department, usually trying to stem the sea of drunken teenagers who don’t know the meaning of moderation.”

“Well nursing is an honorable profession for a woman.” Chikafuji concluded making Haru smile pleasantly at him.

“Medicine does appeal to a woman’s maternal instincts.” She said in way of agreement.

Then it was back to listening about the recent play he had been in, for the forth time. It was a patience exercises all the way through desert. But she got close to her tipping point when he graciously left her with the bill.

She ignored the fact that her bill was mysteriously paid for by a third party. Instead she was more focused on getting home and getting ready for her job. She would swear walking into the antiseptic smelling white walls of the hospital had a claiming affect on her like no other.

She was back in her domain and nothing could touch her there.

That is, unless Lussuria appeared leaning against her car with a large mug of coffee when she got off work. She paused before heaving a sigh and trudged up to him. She ignored the way he grinned at her as he handed over the steaming beverage.

“If this is just for Xanxus-san’s or Belphegor-san’s benefit, they can go jump off a cliff.” She said getting a snort as she unlocked her car. “Haru was swamped last night, desu.”

“Tsuna-chan wanted to speak with you as well, darling.” Lussuria said getting comfortable in the driver’s seat. She wondered if she really was that tired she completely missed him corralling her into the passenger side.

“Did he say why?” She asked instead nearly scrunching up her nose at the tingling sensation of her coffee. She would refuse to say it was pleasant, coffee shouldn’t tingle damn it, or taste faintly of warm honey.

She made a note to pick up some honey to replace her usual creamer and sugar.

“Something to do with Kyoko-chan.” Lussuria said with a shrug. “But Mammon-chan was also insistent about speaking with you, which is rather rare.”

She finished her mug of coffee by the time they reached Tsuna’s house. She was sort of grateful because she almost walked right into a headache the moment she stepped through the door. At least no one was trying to murder anyone.

“Haru!” Tsuna said rounding her.

“Yes?” She asked resting her hands on her hips.

“What did you say to Kyoko-chan?” He was actually rather angry about something. Haru wasn’t sure what. But he was in her face glaring at her like she was the cause for whatever was going on.

“Say when? The last time Kyoko-chan and Haru spoke she wanted advice on a dress she was going to buy. Haru chose the gold one because it went with Kyoko-chan’s hair.” Haru said getting a snort from someone off to the left. Haru would glance over to see who it was but felt it better to keep Tsuna in her sights.

“After you girls were kidnapped.” Tsuna said with a frown. “Bianchi and Chrome both haven’t said anything to her. So, you have to be the one.”

“What are you accusing Haru of?” Haru asked feeling her hackles rise.

“Kyoko-chan broke up with him.” Bianchi supplied with a catlike smirk. “Said she needed some time and space. Since then he’s been on a war path to find the person responsible for upsetting Kyoko-chan.”

Haru blinked at the woman who was standing near Reborn with her arms crossed. Then Haru did the sensible thing. She slammed her face into her hand with a sigh.

It took her a second to drag her fingers through her hair and then look at Tsuna.

“Sorry, Haru left her idiot’s guide to relationship counseling at home. Give her a minute.” Haru said crossing her arms and thinking about what she wanted to say.

“A minute to come up with some excuse.” Gokudera muttered glaring at her.

“Oh for…” Haru threw up her hands. “Kami you boys are so stupid! Haru doesn’t even know where to begin!”

“How about with what you said to her.” Tsuna said only for Haru to slam the butt of her palm into his clavicle.

The force had the young don flopping backwards onto a conveniently empty chair. He was lucky Haru hadn’t hit him two inches to the left or she knew his shoulder would have been dislocated. Still he seemed stunned as he blinked up at her which was good.

“For one!” Haru held up her finger. “Haru didn’t say anything to Kyoko regarding anything about your relationship with her or even the things you keep from her.” Haru said before holding up a second finger. “For two! What do you think would happen if you kept her in the dark all the time? Kyoko-chan might not be the most observant of girls but she isn’t so naïve she can’t get a clue.” A third finger joined the other two. “And three! Did you even talk to Kyoko-chan about what happened? Or did you brush it off like you always do, forcing her to have to draw her own, _maybe false_ , conclusions.”

Tsuna’s mouth dropped and bobbed a few times.

“Haru thought so.” She said lowering her hand and fingers. “Really Tsuna-san, you need a clue bat. Why doesn’t Yamamoto-kun carry one around? It would save all of us so much time and effort.”

Haru thought on that for a second before shaking her head and sighing. She slipped into a more commanding stance as she put her hand on her hip and almost glared down at the young man before her. Her minions like to call it her general stance because it was reserved for when she had to dress them down over something.

“Now,” she said her voice cool smooth and authoritative, “I’m going to spell this out for you, so you can understand it. Since it seems both Bianchi and Chrome tried but you either were too emotional or they used words that go over your head far too easily.”

Tsuna flinched and gulped as he scrunched down on himself. She could care less what the others in the room thought. She was going to get her point across because this was important.  
She sharply snapped her fingers with the hand not on her hip.

“Pay attention,” She commanded, making him unfurled himself a bit and looked up at her with puppy-dog eyes. “Kyoko-chan is human, Sawada. That means she has thoughts and feelings that are entirely her own. She’s not some doll to be played with and then put back on a shelf when you’re done. And because she is human, she would have _thoughts and feelings about being abducted_.”

He opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it at her cold glare.

“Bianchi-san, Chrome-chan, and I _all_ tried to down play the trauma to help ease her through the situation. But that doesn’t mean she could brush it off as easily as we could. You have her so convinced she was never in danger. When she found herself confronted with the danger of being your girlfriend, she of course would question all she knew. She would go home and scrutinize everything you’ve said and done up to this point. We’re not in middle school any more and she certainly can put pieces together to get a picture, maybe not the right picture, but still a picture.”

Haru shook her head with a sigh.

“She didn’t come to talk to myself and to my knowledge either of the other women about what happened. And don’t think I didn’t try to bring it up a few times to gauge how she was handling it. Instead she stuck to the same song and dance you’ve fed her since going out with her. Of course, she would see through all the lies and bullshit you’ve been pulling, now that she has some context other than what you’re spoon feeding her.”

Haru paused to cross her arms.

“So,” She said with a sniff, “what do you have to say for yourself now?”

Tsuna hung his head and almost seemed to shuffle in place despite sitting down.

“Nothing?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. “Well you think on that.”

“But what should I do?” He asked in a small voice making her want to roll her eyes and sigh.

“Maybe, I don’t know, man up? Respect the fact she might need some space and time to figure out what she wants. _IF_ , and that’s a rather large if, she wants to go back out with her than so be it. But if she decides she wants nothing to do with you, then move on. I know your only role models are a geriatric manipulative Mafia Don who could never man up to some questionable life choices, an idiotic father who pulls the same bullshit you’ve been doing, and a hitman turned toddler who is just now remembering what a libido is. But, I’m sure you are more than capable of figuring out how to be a man. If not, then you have problems.”

She pointedly ignored the way someone snorted at that. She couldn’t believe he was asking HER how to be a man though. That was just all sorts of ridiculous and she already had a long enough day as it was.

A yawn broke her commanding stance.

“Anyway,” She shook her head, “Haru is going to find coffee, desu.”

She bounced off towards the kitchen as if she never gave the young don a dressing down at all. She didn’t like having to tell people off. But sometimes it just had to be done, preferably when she had more caffeine in her system.

“Sometimes the prince wonders, Kitsune, what’s part of the act and what’s real when it comes to you.” Belphegor said as someone moved up behind her.

“Sometimes Haru wonders if life really hates her, desu. Then she gets coffee and life is nicer.” Haru said pouring her cup of black death.

“So how was your date with Chika-something-san?” Belphegor asked leaning against the counter next to her as she sipped at the hot brew.

“You should know, you were listening in on it.” She said simply getting a grin from him.

“You really should stick to using the sama honorific. It has a nice ring with my name.” Belphegor said, and she stomped on the insole of his foot causing him to curse.

“Haru should drop kick you instead, Belphegor-san. If you’re going to spy on Haru, at least respect her enough to not be so blatant about it. The overtness was just insulting, more to you than to Haru.” She sniffed only for someone else to chuckle.

“Are you giving us permission to spy on you, trash?” Xanxus said as he walked in to flop down at the kitchen table.

“If Haru catches any spies, they will be reprimanded accordingly.” She said with a huff. “What do you want Xanxus-san?”

“Can’t I be curious about you, trash? You don’t seem to mind the shitty prince’s curiosity.” Xanxus said with a grin. “Like for instance, what were you doing going on a date with someone who has ties to a yakuza group?”

Haru raised an eyebrow. “Haru has a list.”

“Of?” Squalo said coming in with Mammon. Reborn was right on the Mist’s heels looking rather smug, probably from adding to Haru’s dressing down.

“Single men?” Haru asked quirking her lips into a small smile. “A few work associates have been bugging her about dating, because Haru isn’t busy enough without adding a relationship to her schedule. Since she’s finally done with trying to avoid their nagging, she asked for a list of potential dates. She figures if she goes on a few then goes back to work they will stop bothering her for a while.”

“So, nothing serious?” Mammon asked and Haru shook her head bemused.

“Haru’s too busy.” She said getting a smirk from the Esper.

“I would imagine so.” Mammon said. “Actually, I have a question.”

“Should Haru ask that you pay her to answer it?” She shot back getting a chuckle.

“Probably, probably not.” Mammon said glancing around. “But how’d you manage to land your job so quickly? It would take most nearly twice as long as to get hired fulltime.”

Haru smirked over the rim of her coffee mug. “Caffeine, a hope, and a prayer.”

“One hundred thousand yen for the full answer.” Mammon offered making the others in the room choke.

“Five hundred thousand.” She shot back, and the Mist paused before a wicked grin could be seen from under his hood.

The next few minutes were an impressive show of haggling. She was slightly surprised just how impressed Reborn looked as he watched her though. But eventually she got the Esper to settle on a grand total of three hundred fifty thousand yen.

“So?” Mammon asked almost eagerly. “How’d you do it?”

“Haru considered the accelerated programs as she was finishing middle school. It took a lot of studying to get into one and even more so to get into one that offered internet based classes. She would have finished all the course work sooner, but the labs took time. From there it was easy to jump into an accelerated program for the Medical Fields, and since a lot of her credits from the previous program transferred, she didn’t have as many classes she had to take. It let her get into Post-Grad training a lot sooner than most. Turns out if you apply yourself and don’t turn down any call in, you can shorten the on the job training time as well.”

Mammon let out a low whistle. “That’s impressive. I’ll have to look into it.”

She took that to mean he was going to be searching for the programs she used. She didn’t mind and wondered how impressed he would be when he realized just how much work she was talking about. There were days when she went without sleep just to get everything done.

“Just what is your job at the hospital, trash?” Xanxus asked sitting up and frown at her.

She raised an eyebrow and took a sip of her coffee. She could see Yamamoto smirk out of the corner of her eye. Mammon hummed before turning to his boss.

“I can tell you…for a price.” He offered since Haru wasn’t going to.

“I’ll pay.” Reborn huffed. “I’m also curious. I could never quite figure it out.”

“Very well,” Mammon said sounding far to pleased, “Miura-sensei is the current on staff emergency doctor and surgeon working night shift at Namimori Hospital.”

“THE FUCK?!” Squalo exploded standing up to point at her. “You’re a surgeon?!”

“And you’re loud.” Haru said simply smirking as he gaped at her.

“No shit!” Squalo said shaking his head. “Do you even know how long it takes to become a surgeon, girly?”

“On average? Of course, I am one.” She said pleased with herself.

“How long did it take her?” Xanxus asked glaring at Mammon.

“Roughly three years.” The mist said promptly.

“THREE YEARS?!” Squalo said throwing his hands up. “Jesus! The fuck?! Who does that?!”

“Haru apparently.” Haru said helpfully.

“Just why?” Squalo asked as he began calming down. “What possessed you to torture yourself like that? You can’t tell me that it was a breeze to get through.”

Haru shrugged. “Haru had a trust fund after her father passed, but it wouldn’t last forever. After she calculated what it would take to keep her house and continue sustaining her lifestyle, she looked into finding a job that would reach her budgeting goals. She sunk most of her money into her education, so it was either become a surgeon or lose more than she was willing to give up. So, she’s now a surgeon.”

Squalo’s mouth looked like it was permanently unhinged with how long it had been hanging. Xanxus looked like just found something _interesting_. While Reborn had most of his expression covered with his fedora and what little bit of it she could see was blank.

“That’s where you got the extra crown.” Belphegor said perking up. “The prince wondered why it wasn’t with his things when he escaped the hospital. You were holding onto it!”

Haru shrugged. “Some of the staff before the audit had sticky fingers. Something metal and sparkly like your crown would be an interesting souvenir for them.”

“I’m going to have to go back and really look at the medical file I took.” Belphegor said thoughtfully. “Were you the one to dig all the bullets out of me?”

“And sew up your liver.” Haru said with a nod. “You really need to be more careful. Torn internal organs are dangerous, desu.”

“Aw, Kitsune, I knew you cared.” Belphegor said and Haru squeaked as she suddenly found herself caught in a bearhug.

“Let go.” She huffed while struggling to get free. “Personal space, desu.”

“Extra crown?” Xanxus asked smirking at them.

Belphegor paused before letting her go. She almost spilt her cup of coffee on his head. But she got away with his crown from her struggling.

“She has fourteen of the prince’s crowns now.” Belphegor said with a motion that indicated he was rolling his eyes. “She wouldn’t tell the prince where she got the extra one when he asked.”

“Fifteen.” She corrected as she straightened her shirt.

“Huh?” Belphegor said turning to her.

“Haru has fifteen crowns, desu. Well technically sixteen now.” She said holding up the crown she had just snagged. She held it out of his grasp as he huffed and moved to take it back.

“Where’d you get the other extra crown?” Squalo asked snapping out of his shock finally.

“Places.” Haru said bopping Belphegor on the head with her coffee mug to get him to stop. It worked as he backed off to rub the top of his head where she bopped him.

“Places?” Reborn asked bemused.

“Yes, places. If they’re smart they can figure it out, maybe. That one Haru acquired with advanced ninja skills.” Haru said getting a chuckle from the hitman. “Anyway, Yamamoto-kun?”

“Yea Haru-chan?” Yamamoto asked as she turned to him.

“Can you take Haru home now?” Haru yawned. “It was a long night and Haru has to work tonight as well, desu.”

“Sure.” The Rain agreed and Haru was soon on her way home.

It turns out Chikafuji had a week to live before turning up sliced to pieces in a back alley. No evidence pointed to a culprit, but she could tell Belphegor’s work when she saw it. She just shook her head and made a note that the Storm Prince didn’t _do_ jealousy well.

Though why the Storm Commander would be jealous Haru wasn’t quite certain. On another note she got two bottles of alcohol this time, plus some Bailey’s that had the same warm honey tingle when she tried it. It almost made her wonder if the bottles of alcohol Xanxus sent would taste any different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!!!!!!!! READ ME !!!!!!!!!!
> 
> Just letting all my wonderful readers know I might not be posting anything for a few days. I have family coming to visit and that means going the extra mile to thoroughly clean my house and entertain them while they're here. I'll be back as soon as I can! In the meantime feel free to bombard me with ideas and/or prompts! I can't promise I'll get to them all but if I can work them in I'll be more than happy to.
> 
> !!!!!!!!!! READ ME !!!!!!!!!!


	17. Behold! Secrets!

The seventeenth time she stole his crown, she didn’t technically steal it. She found it resting at the foot of her futon when she woke up. She just rolled her eyes and sighed.

When she gave her minions the heads up that the Varia might try to spy on her. Well she had some rather interesting minions. The yakuza minions were all for trying to protect her until she clued them in to connection to the mafia family.

Her other minions however…

Before things started getting too crazy she started a barebones operation to try and keep up to date with mafia gossip. It wasn’t much but usually let her steer herself and Kyoko away from any potential disasters. If there was one thing she learned from her unexpected trip to the future, it was knowledge was key and the boys weren’t always going to hand it to her on a silver platter.

After her little life altering mishap with her abduction however, she found ways to beef up her operation. Surprisingly she found help at the women’s support group she was ordered to attend as part of her rehabilitation. She began recruiting her fellow attendees with the promise of self-defense classes.

She just didn’t think they would take it and run.

Admittedly adding her shishou into the mix probably didn’t help her cause. Her girls took to Flames as enthusiastically as they did spying and self-defense. In two years Haru found herself head of a neo-shinobi clan who took over the information market of Namimori.

By now they were even expanding. Megumi having gathered up some girls to help take down a human trafficking operation, offering any that didn’t have place to return to a home within the clan. It was bad that Haru had to buy two apartment complexes to house her minions that didn’t have homes and was already considering a third.

Hibari called them the Maboroshi. Yamamoto was convinced there was only five of them. And Fran insisted that they were really fairies.

Hiroyuki adopted the Maboroshi as the Namimori-kai equivalent of the Varia. He also found it amusing that instead of referring to Haru by her real name, the Maboroshi gave her the name Chiyome. He got the ninja reference almost as soon as he heard it, he went as far as to start introducing her as Chiyo-sama to the other yakuza.

There were worse honors she supposed. But having them refer to her yakuza group as the Mochizuki-gumi was going a bit far in her opinion. She was not the second coming of the fabled kunoichi leader, she was just Haru.

But back to the crown.

She wondered which of her wayward girls stole it as she picked it up and went to put it away for safe keeping. She knew the danger of inviting the Varia to spy on her. She never told Xanxus that she wouldn’t be doing the same.

Already she had stack of reports nearly as thick as her arm on the Varia. She had real names, abilities, training, even food allergies. Not to mention she had four dedicated Maboroshi in place for counter intelligence, and knowing those four they already found a way to spy on what intelligence the Varia already had.

Don’t even get her started on the mess that came about from dropping two of the Maboroshi into the CEDEF.

If Tsuna came up to her and asked her to formally join the Vongola she would demand he clean up that sunken ship before she even considered the offer. While some of the leaks could be attributed to someone referred to as Daemon Spade, almost all the rest could be linked to Tsuna’s father’s mishandling of the group. She could tell he was trying though, so he wasn’t actively sabotaging the Vongola, but in the beginning, he wasn’t nearly as good as he was now.

Too bad many of his youthful screwups have paved the way for far too many cracks in the system. She wasn’t even sure he was aware of some of the stuff her girls managed to drudge up. If he was and he wasn’t fixing the problems, _then_ she would shoot him for incompetence.

She shook those thoughts from her head and looked at her schedule.

Her day went rather routinely. She didn’t have work that night so instead her evening would be filled with getting caught up on her other work. Instead her free day meant she could take her babies out for a bit.

She smiled as she got them ready for the day she had planned. Hotaru looked so much like her but Haru could already tell there was a bit of European blood in straightness of the girls nose and the sharpness of her small chin. While Hikaru looked far more Japanese save the blue of his eyes, which she hoped darkened a bit more before he went to school.

The twins were loaded up into their car seats in the garage. Stroller stored in the trunk and the large baby bag stuffed into the feet well of the front passenger side seat. Haru was grinning as Sayuri walked in from school at that moment.

“I’m taking the twins to the zoo. Want to come?” Haru asked getting a smile from the high schooler.

“Let me put my bag away.” Sayuri said before racing up to her room to do just that.

It wasn’t long before the two were unloading the two toddlers into the double seated stroller. It was nice out and Haru was content to let her babies stare wide-eyed at the animals. Even Hikaru was far more open as he pointed at a tiger.

“Behold, kaa-san! Kitty!” He exclaimed making Haru suppress a giggle.

“Behold?”

Haru’s giggle died as she instantly stood straight and turned narrowed eyes on the grinning blond man standing there casually with his hands in his pockets.

“Interesting word choice. Don’t parents usually teach their children to say look?” Belphegor asked pleasantly.

“Now where’s the fun in that.” She said gripping the handle of the stroller. “What are you doing here, Belphegor-san? You don’t strike me as the type to go to the zoo.”

“It’s not high on my list of preferred activities.” Belphegor said and pulled his hands out of his pockets. He casually walked over to the observation fence and braced his arms on top of it.

“But my crown went missing this morning and I was stopping by to see if you knew where it was. It wouldn’t be the first time you caught me unawares to take it.”

Haru narrowed her eyes at his exposed back. He wasn’t between her and her babies, but he was far to close in her opinion. Luckily Sayuri swooped in before she did something irrational, like tossing the assassin into the tiger enclosure for even glancing at her babies.

“Onee-san, it’s getting hot. Do you mind if I take the twins to get some ice cream?” Sayuri said appearing at her side.

“No, it would probably be good for them.” Haru said letting go of the stroller but not taking her glare off the prince. Haru waited until she knew Sayuri was far enough away with the twins before shifting. “So, what do you want?”

“Like I said, I want to know if you stole my crown last night.” Belphegor said looking over his shoulder at her before motioning her closer. “Come on, Kitsune. Relax. I won’t hurt your kids.”

Haru wanted to relax. She had his measure after all. But she really didn’t like the thought of people knowing about the twins.

“I worked a full shift last night.” She said still tense as she at least went up and leaned against the fence next to him. “I was too busy with a car full of crash victims.”

“Huh, well someone broke into my hotel room and snagged my crown. You don’t have a ghost running around doing your bidding, do you?” He asked with a grin.

She couldn’t suppress her snort.

“What? You’re more capable than any of us give you credit for, Kitsune. I knew you were good. You must be if you can sneak up on me and beat me in a fight. But the medical career thing? Mammon just about had a heart attack and spazzed for an hour after drudging up your test scores. What was the longest period you went without sleep? I know there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done the way you did without some loss of it.”

“Fifty-two hours. It would have been longer, but I crashed for two hours.” She said with a sigh. “So, you think I’m capable of having someone do my bidding? Who would I ask?”

“Not Alex and Reggie again,” Belphegor said with a grin, “they came clean after Boss confronted them about their jump in skill. You’re lucky you’re you, Kitsune. Stealing our Quality minions is a very naughty thing to do.”

“I didn’t steal them.” Haru defended getting a laugh. “I didn’t.”

“Then how did they end up at an undisclosed location after being knocked out?”

“Okay, so maybe there was a bit of stealing there.” Haru conceded before noticing how Belphegor’s smile waned a bit.

“So, twins huh?” He asked, and she sighed.

“Do we have to talk about this?” She asked feeling her shoulders tense.

He shrugged. “They’re your family. And they’re adorable. Seriously? Behold? If I ever have an heir I’m definitely going to teach him the same thing. That’s just too good to pass up.”

She snorted and pushed his shoulder. “I miss the days when I could remain angry and wary of you.”

“I don’t.” He said with a grin. “You either were trying to put as much ground between us as possible or attempting to break my bones. You know, unless you were standing your ground. If I didn’t know you don’t have an Active Flame I would swear you were a Cloud. Are they why your house is a fortress?”

“They’re precious to me.” She defended with a sniff.

“So. Details. Who knows about them? Who’s the father? Did you get bloody revenge if he’s out of the picture?” Belphegor said poking her in the side and making her yelp as she jumped away from him.

“Kami, sometimes I don’t know what to make of you.” She shook her head. “And outside of Fran-kun and Sayuri-chan, well, Yamamoto-kun is their godfather. He was the only one of my friends that knew when they were born.”

“You tore out the bastard’s throat, didn’t you?” Belphegor was now frowning.

“Four days, Belphegor-san.” She reminded him. “Even after all of that, I never breathed a word that I even knew who Tsuna-san was. They used some of the surveillance footage at the trial to prove I was just protecting myself.”

She was surprised to suddenly have an arm wrap around her and to be tugged into his chest. She blinked as she felt him rest his chin on her head as his other arm secured her in place against him. She refused to acknowledge the slight sting to her eyes and how some part of her relaxed against him.

He was still an annoying jerk who had the mentality of a spoiled two-year-old, desu.

“You really need to stop making the prince feel like a mere mortal unworthy of your presence. It’s annoying and demeaning to the prince’s proud heritage.” He said almost condescendingly but his firm hold didn’t waver. “But if you ever need any help protecting them, you call me. I don’t care if I’m on a job on the other side of the world. The Boss will just have to eat shit and deal with it.”

“You have the oddest way of being sweet.” She scrunched up her nose. “You just have to act sour about it don’t you?”

“Shut up, Kitsune. The Prince is trying to be nice.” He said before letting her go. “Now. Would you allow me the honor of meeting your children?”

“Seriously, desu?” Haru asked blinking at him. But he seemed truly sincere as he almost pouted at her. “Oh, all right, but no knives. Hotaru likes to stick stuff in her mouth.”

“Isn’t that a tiny child thing to do?” He asked with a confused frown and head tilt as if he really didn’t know.

“Yes, but she’s the one most likely to be problematic about it.” Haru said with a fond smile.

“And who is the other one? Hotaru-chan your daughter.” He prompted, and she laughed as they headed towards where Sayuri had gone to watch the two menaces.

“His name is Hikaru and he might throw something at you if you’re not nice.” Haru said surprised by how easily she was accepting this. She doubted she would even let Tsuna near her babies, yet she was leading this psychotic assassin right to them.

“Now this sounds fun.” Belphegor said with a grin as he stuffed his hands back into his pockets. “Think we can find a shark plushie while we’re here? The prince wants to mess with the shitty shark when he gets back.”

She didn’t even register her movement as she automatically slapped the back of his head.

“No swearing in front of Haru’s children, desu.” She snapped while he rubbed the spot where she hit him. “Children are pure and innocent.”

“Of course,” He agreed, “purely evil.”

She nearly tripped him, and he laughed at her. They squabbled all the way to Sayuri who was smiling faintly at them. She glared, Sayuri beamed, and Belphegor oddly cooed at the two children after getting over the initial shock of how small they were.

Up until Hikaru threw ice cream in his hair and Hotaru tried to eat his fringe. He didn’t get mad per say but he was pouting. Even then Haru hid a smile as he gave in and held onto Hotaru because the little girl demanded it.

Haru was certain he never dealt with children before, but he was oddly quick to adapt.


	18. A Hairy Situation

The eighteenth time she stole his crown, it was Yamamoto’s fault. She didn’t care what anyone said on the matter. The star baseball player and sometimes swordsman was to blame.

She loved Yamamoto like a brother. They had bonded after he was the only one there in her most trying of times. He held her when her dad died and helped her get back on her feet when faced with perhaps her most harrowing of adventures.

He was there when she was hiding her pregnancy from the others. He was the one to help encourage her through her trial of getting through medical school. He even held her hand while she was in labor and cursing everything in the universe.

There wasn’t a person in the world she adored more than her pseudo-brother.

That however didn’t exempt him from her wrath. And she was on a warpath when she ran into Belphegor. The fact that it was Yamamoto running from her didn’t change anything.

It had started as a normal Bro day. Before it had just been her and Yamamoto getting together to relax when her studying and his practice got overwhelming. After Haru began training with Hibari, he just easily slotted into the mix since he needed some time away from the herbivores.

It would be a logical conclusion then to assume some of the time the three got together for a day ended in a sparring match. Hibari refused to let Yamamoto shirk on his sword abilities, while Haru often needed to try to hit something after dealing with so many people that were just glorified toddlers. Hibari reveled in those moments because it meant Haru and Yamamoto actually took the spar seriously.

The Cloud Guardian even brought along a pair of kama for Haru in replace of her guns. While both men knew about her weapon of choice, that didn’t mean they wanted to get shot. By giving her the kama however, she was on a level playing field with Yamamoto’s katana and Hibari’s tonfa.

It just so happened they were in the middle of a fierce three-way spar when the unthinkable happened.

If anyone asked, Haru wasn’t all that into her appearance. She put on some lip gloss and maybe a touch of makeup to hide the bags under her eyes from time to time. But outside of certain instances when she needed to be dolled up, she rarely cared.

Unless of course it was her hair that was involved. She had long since gotten over Fuuta’s ranking of how it was one of her top charm points. She was now a woman and read enough beauty magazines to know that charms were fallible, but she was proud her hair survived her pregnancy.

That meant her long locks were always kept well washed, oiled, and tied up, so they didn’t get caught on anything. She got hair treatments to help make her hair shine beautifully and avoided any damaging chemicals like they were the plague. She would kill if something happened to her hair.

The boys knew this.

They were careful to not aim for her hair.

They were well aware their lives might depend on it.

Then Yamamoto’s sword came swinging in high and fast. Admittedly she ducked to save getting her head chopped off. But it was the sudden lightness from where her ponytail was that made her freeze completely.

Even Yamamoto and Hibari froze.

Light strands of soft dark hair brushed against her chin. The tingling sensation of the locks far higher than where they should be. Slowly she stood, slipping one of the kama into her belt loop as that hand reached up to touch ends of her hair.

Her hair was now chin length and slightly lopsided.

“Uh…” She heard Yamamoto say as his feet shuffled backwards slowly.

“Yamamoto Takeshi,” Hibari intoned calmly, “I suggest you run.”

She heard his footsteps move away. Slow at first before he was suddenly sprinting. She would have been impressed if the shock hadn’t suddenly worn off.

“YAMAMOTO TAKESHI!! YOU GET BACK HERE!! YOU MOTHER FUCKING COCK SUCKING YELLOW BELLY CUNT!!” She roared as she turned and shot off after him. “I’M GOING TO CUT OFF YOUR ARMS AND SHOVE THEM UP YOUR ASS!! YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!”

She as a tad bit angry.

Unfortunately for Yamamoto and the rest of Namimori, she also had tunnel vision. She practically ran over Hibari when he tried to stop her to give Yamamoto some time to flee. She also got his shoulder pretty good with the blade of one of her kama even as she tore the weapon free and continued her charge.

The ensuring chaos of her trying to maim one of her best friends and adopted brothers was probably up there in the property damage a Vongola Holiday could cause. She tore through the streets after the fleeing baseball star with a single mindedness of a heat seeking missile. She would have been embarrassed about the profanity that spewed from her mouth as he even tried to parkour his way out of the chase, but she was far too intent on catching him.

If she was thinking beyond MURDER, she would have realized the door she had just torn through in fact belonged to Tsuna. It would make sense that Yamamoto would retreat to his friends. They could help him if she did in fact intend on carrying through with her thoughts of MURDER.

She dodged the new people that were in her way as Yamamoto headed for the kitchen and backdoor. Her kama flashed as she noticed someone step in the way to stop her. She didn’t even flinch at the blood as she almost seemed to lightly bat the person out of her path.

She knew it wasn’t a fatal wound as she zipped around the corner. She almost jumped completely over the table Yamamoto shoved in her path before he slammed out of the back door. She barely paused to kick the door down after he closed it behind him.

She followed him over the fence with a graceful hop. She could tell he was tiring as he pushed himself forward. It would only be a matter of time before she caught up to him.

Only she was once again slammed into the side of some wall by Hibari. He had managed to keep up with them and tripped her a few times. He also had the wounds to show for getting in her way.

But he was still grinning as he raised his tonfa.

She shot at him again. Exchanging hits while trying to disable him with the blades of her kama. She managed to get a good hit in to his thigh before she kicked him back enough for her to charge off.

She rounded the corner where Yamamoto had gone and almost knew which route he took. Maybe it was the civilians blinking shocked after someone. But as she rounded a corner she found him braced against a fence checking his breath.

She threw her kama with precision, aiming for his right shoulder.

His instincts must have alerted him of the danger because he dove out of the way before the blade could land. He was off again after glancing at her with wide eyes. While she raced over to grab her thrown kama and was on his heels once more.

She didn’t even flinch when the ground exploded around her. She just brushed off the debris cloud and charged ahead. She didn’t even register when someone else appeared, just ducked seamlessly under the left hook and slashed at the back of their knee.

She back handed the next person to try and get in her way as she dodged a sudden projectile. Vaguely her mind told her she was tearing through Tsuna and his other guardians. Even the weird double image was ignored as she went after the real Yamamoto she had in her sights.

She barely even registered when the person in front of her was far taller than a normal Japanese man. She just hooked the sword aiming at her with her kama and pushed it away. A jump and twist, her shin connected with a face before she was on her feet and charging again.

She tugged her kama free when some translucent wire caught on them. She flew up to ram the heel of her foot into another person that dared step in her way. She barely even flinched when the blade of her kama broke as it hit what appeared to be a knee.

She wasn’t sure how long she was caught up in the mess trying to slower her down. But eventually she had to hit the ground to avoid a streak of hot light coming in from her left shoulder. It was then several people pounced on her and she found herself at the bottom of a dogpile.

She gripped the handle of her still useful kama as she tried to get her hands and knees under her. It felt like she had several hundred pounds pushing her down. But slowly, inch by inch, she began to rise even with the group trying to weigh her down.

She could hear cursing and exclamations as she almost got her feet under her.

Then she was hit with a calming warmth that forced her to pause. It was slowing her down and making her suddenly sleepy. It was added to by another wave of calming warmth, this one slightly different than the other but no less soothing.

She could feel herself becoming drowsy as her muscles began relaxing. She still fought it with the best of her ability. Trying to hold onto the rage that had her adrenaline pumping.

But she began to slowly blink. It felt like there were large gaps of time being lost with each blink. Then she fell into the darkness with a curse.

She wasn’t pleased when she woke up. She was no longer ready to commit murder. But she wasn’t very pleased either.

She found herself carefully duct taped to a kitchen chair in a corner of what appeared to be Tsuna’s living room. She tried her bounds to see how well they were made and found herself displeased when she could barely move. She could rock the chair on its legs but that was about it.

She let out a curse only to realize it was muffled. Her eye brow twitched as she tried to lick her dry lips. Apparently, they decided she needed to have duct tape over her mouth as well.

Her half growl half shriek of rage was muffled as she rocked the chair to express her displeasure in the situation. But since she was the only one in the room at the moment she let the chair legs fall and huffed to herself. She carefully eyed the room and was pleased to see someone had left the kids’ art supplies out.

She looked around before carefully scooting the chair in the direction of the art supplies. It took her a long minute before she was in range. Then she cringed before tipping the chair on its side, so her hand landed as close as possible to the discarded art supplies.

It still took a bit of squirming on her trapped arm to grab her freedom. Then she carefully began the task of cutting free that hand. She closed her eyes as her wrist twisted at an odd angle that hurt as she snipped away.

But she finally got far enough that she could tear her hand free from the layers of duct tape. From there it was just cutting free her other hand. Her shoulders were duct taped to the chair, but her elbows were free, so it wasn’t too much work to get unstuck.

She carefully got the tape off her mouth and tried to wet her lips. Her mouth also felt dry which meant it took a minute. Instead she carefully got all the duct tape off the chair and put it back in the corner she woke up in.

She was amused to see it was the timeout corner she used when the children got out of hand.

She shook her head and turned towards the kitchen. She could hear people arguing and knew she would find her answers there. So, she casually strolled in and looked around.

Belphegor just happened to be closest to the door. She shrugged and slipped up behind him to gently lift one of the knives from his pocket where he kept them while also snagging his crown, because why not. Then as nonchalant as she pleased, she strolled up behind Tsuna.

“And I’m saying she’s skilled, trash.” Xanxus was arguing while Tsuna was looking stubborn and wary. “I’m not going to abduct her and force her to join. I’m just going to extend an offer. Besides, she seems tied up with her work here…”

Xanxus broke off as she casually tapped the edge of the blade against the skin right above Tsuna’s jugular and held it there.

“ _Who_ decided to tape my mouth shut?” She asked pleasantly while the Mafia Don froze, probably looking at everyone with wide eyes. She couldn’t see his face from where she was standing almost behind him. “I want to have a word with them. Especially if they are also the ones that decided I needed to be taped to a chair. If you’re going to tape someone to a chair, you best do it right, so they don’t get free.”

She ignored how Xanxus _grinned_. She had no other way to describe it. Just a giant vicious grin as he stared Tsuna down.

She really wished she had some bubblegum to pop.

“And I will have to decline your offer Xanxus-san. I’m far too busy to work for you.” She added as she waited for Tsuna to get over his shock to answer her question. “Well? Spill.”

“Woman! How’d you get free?” Gokudera exploded throwing up his hands. “You shouldn’t have gotten free.”

“It was you wasn’t it.” She said dully as she pulled the knife away from Tsuna’s throat. The Don let out a heavy sigh and moved just a step away, so he could turn to her.

“Don’t hurt him.” Tsuna said almost pleadingly.

“I wasn’t going to.” Haru argued with a shrug. “I want to have a word with him about the proper way to hold a captive, well captive.”

“Are you feeling all right?” Tsuna asked edging away from her. “You’re a bit too cheery.”

“Oh, I’m fine.” She said pleasantly. “Never better.”

“Cookie?” Someone asked, and she blinked to find Yamamoto grinning at her holding up the offered food. It looked normal as she narrowed her eyes at it.

“Is it poisoned?” She asked reaching out to take it from him.

“Nope.” He grinned with a bit of a chuckle. “I’m just sorry.”

She eyed him suspiciously before shrugging and taking a bite. She could tell it wasn’t poisoned almost the instant it hit her tongue. Even if it was, she probably wouldn’t have minded because Yamamoto was precious to her.

“I’m still displeased with your existence.” She said finishing the cookie. He promptly gave her another one. “Maybe not as displeased as I want to be.”

It didn’t help that the cookies had the same dual soothing warmth that knocked her out. One reminded her oddly enough of Yamamoto, warm soothing and smooth, like caramel. The other was harder to place, more calming she supposed than soothing and a bit cooler to the tongue, like mint.

“Why do you ask everyone if the food they’re giving you is poisoned?” Reborn asked suddenly making her raise an eyebrow. Instead of answering she just pointed at Bianchi. “Ah.”

Yamamoto gave her another cookie and she supposed she could forgive him, eventually.

“So, um, why did you want to kill Yamamoto?” Tsuna asked looking nervous.

“He didn’t tell you?” She asked before pausing and picking at the ends of the short strands of her hair.

“What happened to your hair?” Tsuna yelped making her freeze. She stared at him blankly wondering if he was really asking her that.

Yamamoto gave her another cookie. She decided not to answer Tsuna. She really didn’t want to hurt Yamamoto.

But her hair.

She forced herself to focus on the cookies. The cookies were heaven. She was getting free cookies, that made it even better.

She ignored the way Reborn ushered Tsuna and Gokudera away while dragging Lambo with them. She figured he was removing them before one of them did something stupid, like putting their foot in their mouth. But that was fine, she was calm, and she had free cookies.

Life was good.

Xanxus left probably to badger Tsuna about something again. She hoped he’d let the whole her working for him go. Besides, there weren’t women in the Varia.

The closest woman they had was Lussuria and he was hovering over her fussing.

“I’m fine.” She snapped poking him.

“But darling your hair.” He fussed making her sniff. “If you want I can grow it out with my Sun Flames. It’s a process but it’ll be back in no time. If only I had my beloved Pea-chan.”

She felt her nose scrunch up. “It’s fine, Lussuria-san. It was an accident.”

“Accident?” Belphegor asked with a frown.

“I didn’t dodge quite fast enough.” She said rolling her eyes. “Where is Kyo-Kyo? Did he already take off again?”

“He wanted to go make sure our little chase across the city didn’t create too much chaos with the herbivores.” Yamamoto grinned. “You punched him through a storefront in block twelve.”

She remembered that oddly enough. She smirked as she remembered how disgruntled he looked among the fallen dress displays. She wished she stopped to really appreciate it for what it was.

“Just how far did she chase you?” Levi asked sounding surprised.

“We were out at the shrine. So, a few miles.” Yamamoto said rubbing the back of his head with a grin. “She also was chasing me for at least an hour before I managed to get here.”

“Damn,” Squalo whistled. “You really wanted to kill him.”

“Not kill him.” She corrected with a sniff. “Just cut off his arms. I could stitch him up before he bled to death.”

Belphegor snickered while Squalo blinked at her.

“That’s almost terrifying.” He said in awe.

“And Chrome-chan went with a few others to make sure the mess is cleaned up.” Yamamoto added thoughtfully making her blink before nodding.

“I’m surprise with the amount of crazy that the people of Namimori don’t have permanent selective amnesia at this point.” She said getting a chuckle from him.

“They might think they do.” He said making her almost smile.

Oddly enough she started to really calm down. It was hard to stay mad at Yamamoto, especially when she could tell he was truly sorry. Plus, the cookies helped a lot, and not just because of the flames infused in them.

She began wondering why these men seemed intent on giving her flame infused food. Yamamoto had never done so before, so she figured Squalo was the other calming flame. It reminded her of that cabin at the ski resort at least.

She would have to watch her food from now on.

“Alright,” She decided, “your forgiven… this time.”

Yamamoto’s grin was large and beaming.

“But don’t expect cookies to work every time.” She added just because. It didn’t dampen the Rain’s grin a bit.

“Of course.” He agreed.

“Well,” she dusted off her hands and put the crown she stole on her head. “I’m going to go get my hair fixed. See you all later.”

“…Wait.” She heard Belphegor drawl as she headed out the still broken back door. “Kitsune! When did you take the prince’s crown?!”

She laughed and hopped the fence. She would let him stew on that. But if she didn’t want any wayward strands of hair getting in the way while she worked, she really had to get it fixed.

She wondered how well she could pull off the smart bobbed look.

* * *

 

 

Awesome pic By spyriteVestar

I wasn't sure where to put this so I decided it could go here. Thank you for your wonderful artwork!! If anyone else would like me to post any art made for this fic, just send me a link to an image hosting website (i.e deviantart) and I'll put it at the end a chapter. If you want the artwork posted on a specific chapter let me know in the comment with the link and I'll be sure to put it there!


	19. Abduction Training

The nineteenth time she stole his crown, she was being a supportive friend for Kyoko. Even after her break up with Tsuna, Haru still made it a point of hanging out with the other girl. She sat through all the rants and tears and ‘how-could-he’s like any good best friend would.

It was nice that the veil had been lifted from Kyoko’s eyes. What most people didn’t know about the school idol was she was a fierce person under all the sparkles and smiles. It was part of the reason Haru loved the other girl despite their rather obvious differences.

It still didn’t mean Kyoko woke up one day to leave her pacifist ways behind her. She still hated seeing people hurt each other. But she did understand that sometimes people had to be hurt so her friends were safe.

“I still can’t believe he did that!” Kyoko expounded as she threw up her hands. “He always said he didn’t want to be like his father! Why would he pull something like this? Why lie to me?”

Did she mention that Kyoko was still pissed? Haru smiled wanly at the girl who was pacing in her rant. Haru had stopped by to see how the girl was and found her in a fight with Ryohei.

The boxer left after slamming the door on his way out.

“They all lied! Nii-san hasn’t stopped fighting! Tsuna’s apparently already a Mafia boss! And! And why would he keep something like that from me?! Doesn’t he know I was planning to be a police officer?! Did he even care?!”

Kyoko flopped down on her couch and put her face into her hands. The sobs were starting again and Haru suppressed a sigh as she scooted closer to wrap her friend in a hug. Haru knew just how jarring having someone’s life flipped upside down was, so she could sympathize.

“Did he even love me?” Kyoko asked in a small voice between her tears.

“He loves you.” Haru said knowing just how much Tsuna was beating himself up over it. “Haru told him to give you time and space so you can work out what you needed. Yamamoto-kun says he’s even more distracted and Haru has seen him pouting more than normal. He truly does love Kyoko-chan. He…just doesn’t have the male role models in his life to know how to treat a woman right.”

“Doesn’t he trust me?” Kyoko asked with a frown.

Haru opened her mouth before closing it to think. “Haru doesn’t know. You did get into gossiping a lot with the other high school girls. Sometimes that makes people wary of telling that person secrets. But we all know you have a good heart, Kyoko-chan. You wouldn’t betray your friends.”

“What do I do?” Kyoko asked for the first time since the breakup. Haru about rejoiced because it meant finally, _finally_ , Kyoko was starting to move in a direction.

“What you want to do.” Haru said suppressing her grin.

“What I want?” Kyoko asked with a frown.

“Okay, maybe that step is a bit further ahead, desu. How about you try figuring out what you want? Do you want to go down the criminal life or do you want to stick with being a police officer? Not even Ryohei-nii will hold it against you, just know he won’t be able to tell you everything because he’s already in too deep.”

“I don’t want to lose Nii-san.” Kyoko sniffed. “It’s bad enough we keep fighting.”

“Well then you’ll have to accept some truths you don’t want. Ryohei-nii will always love boxing and he will get into fights that will get him hurt. He might die young or he might be old and competing in EXTREME wheelchair races in a retirement home much to the annoyance of the orderlies.”

Kyoko snorted and then giggled probably picturing it.

“The one thing Haru has learned about adulting is that you can’t make people do what you want. You can suggest they do something but ultimately, they are living their own lives. The best you can do is live your own life and be there when your friends need your help with their lives. It’s not always pretty but it’s all we can do.”

“Since when did you get so wise?” Kyoko asked with a blink.

“Haru doesn’t know, desu. Maybe she was just learning as she went along.” Haru shrugged. “But! If you can accept Ryohei-nii for who he is, then you can accept anyone else for who they are. People are flawed, and life is shit, but we are all living it.”

“I do love Tsu-kun.” Kyoko said slumping. “But…what if I get abducted again? What if you and the other girls aren’t there? What do I do then?”

“Then, you learn how to protect yourself, so you don’t get in that situation!” Haru said cheerfully. “You don’t even need to learn how to hurt anyone, desu! Hahi! Haru has an idea!”

So early the next day, Haru dressed for battle. Namely she wore a pair of green camouflage pants, some combat boots, a sleeveless olive-green turtleneck shirt, and a matching army jacket. She tied a green camo bandana around her head to hide her short hair and grinned to herself as she put on a pair of fingerless gloves.

Her plan was rather simple. She knew of an old rundown property that was mostly being taken over by woods at this point. It was perfect to stage a training game for Kyoko.

The girl in question was standing there in similar clothes looking nervous. Also with them was Bianchi who was grinning like a cat, and Chrome who clutched her trident. Haru enlisted their help for today’s exercise which was beginning in the grey light of the predawn hours.

“Now!” Haru clapped her hands, perhaps a bit too cheerful for the time of the day. “We’re going to simulate kidnapping Kyoko, desu! Chrome-chan will be allowed to use her illusions, but the only equipment we will be using is these airsoft guns! That way Kyoko-chan can shoot us to get away and if we accidentally shoot her, no one gets too hurt! At most we will get welts!”

“It’s far too early for you to be channeling my beloved.” Bianchi said with a yawn even as she smirked.

“Haru isn’t channeling Reborn-chan.” Haru said putting her hands on her hips. “Now, let’s get geared up! Don’t forget your armor because safety first, desu!”

She did take a minute to help the other girls with their safety equipment. Then they went over how to use the airsoft guns properly. Kyoko was unsure but after getting hit with one of the pellets was more confident, despite cursing over how much the shot stung.

“But what if one of you tackle me?” Kyoko asked with wide eyes behind her goggles.

“We’re going in stages.” Haru said making Bianchi perk up.

“Ah, I was wondering about that. It makes sense. First get over the hurdle of going to a weapon then move on to the softer ways of getting away.” Bianchi said clapping her hands together. “I approve.”

“Um?” Kyoko shifted.

“You don’t like fighting, desu.” Haru said simply. “If we taught you how to throw someone you would stick to that way and refuse to learn how to use a weapon. If we get you used to using a weapon you will have more options. Besides, you don’t even need to use a real gun. You can use an airsoft gun with modified pepper bullets or even a taser.”

“But we will be teaching you how to use a real gun.” Bianchi put in.

“We will?” Haru and Chrome asked surprised.

“Of course,” Bianchi threw some of her hair over her shoulder, “if she grabs a gun in her attempt to get away. It’s better she knows how to use it properly.”

Haru shared a look with Chrome before they both shrugged. Neither had an argument against that. So, they would just have to roll with it.

“Anyway, Kyoko-chan,” Haru said turning to her with a grin, “your job for this exercise is to not let one of us touch you. If we get up close enough to even tap you on the shoulder you lost, okay?”

Kyoko hesitated for a second before nodding seriously, “Okay.”

“Then let’s begin!” Haru said clapping her hands together before taking off to the underbrush. Chrome disappeared in a swirl of Mist Flames while Bianchi darted off in the opposite direction of Haru. That left Kyoko all alone near the base set up clutching her airsoft gun and looking around warily.

At first Kyoko was horrible at protecting herself. She jumped at every broken branch and looked like a hunted rabbit as her head darted around. More than once she back herself into a corner and made it easier for the girls to catch her.

But eventually she started to learn ways to get away. She trotted away from the safety of the base to try and out run her pursuers. She even began to shoot at them when they appeared, slowly getting better at her shots.

Haru cursed as a pellet hit the bottom of her mask right where her jaw was. If it had been a real bullet she would have bitten the thing. Instead she backed off as she readjusted the slightly eschew armor.

In all honesty, the girls were having fun. Even Kyoko was beginning to taunt them into trying to catch her. The count was still overwhelmingly in favor of the pursuers but that wasn’t what mattered.

What mattered was Kyoko slowly learning skills she would need for when this really counted.

However, things sort of took a turn when lunchtime began creeping up. Haru heard Chrome of all people shriek making her turn to the sound. It was barely enough of a warning to duck a pellet headed straight for between her eyes. She rolled behind a tree and peered around to see if she could figure out who and where the new shooter came from.

She dodged when her instincts screamed at her to move. Her eyes catching a bright green pellet as it bounced off the tree she was hiding behind. Clearly the person now playing had their own ammo to go with them.

She took evasive action as she sprinted off in a seemingly random direction away from where she knew Kyoko was. Whoever was playing was clearly protecting the idol so that meant Kyoko just gained a team member. Then she doubled back in another direction, carefully using her abilities to hop between trees to help her.

She was back on course and slinking through the underbrush. She could hear Kyoko moving in her direction, so sprawled on her stomach to wait. She smirked as her friend rounded around a tree and began backing up towards the bush Haru was camped under.

Haru sprung once Kyoko got close enough. She wrapped her arms around the other girl who let out a shriek. It caused her to laugh even as she dodged another green pellet coming at her.

“Got you, Kyoko-chan!” She called as she disappeared back into the woods.

“Haru!” Kyoko complained but was soon running off in another direction.

Things remained the same until lunch when Haru’s watch went off to alert for a time out. Haru trudged back to the base area curious to know who was protecting Kyoko from the shadows. She just rolled her eyes as she saw Reborn lounging there.

“Reborn-chan! What are you doing? It’s girls’ day, desu.” She scolded getting a chuckle from the still fifteen-year-old looking hitman.

“But Haru-chan, this is perfect for training.” He said with a grin.

“Reborn! My beloved!” Bianchi said running up to toss her arms around the Sun Arcobaleno’s shoulders.

“I still can’t believe you’re crashing on our day!” Kyoko was arguing with Tsuna who was slumped and trying to explain away his presence.

“But Reborn.” Tsuna said but Kyoko didn’t let him get a word in.

“That was fun.” Yamamoto said coming up to sweep Haru up in a hug. “I almost got you twice.”

“And Haru captured Kyoko-chan on your watch, desu.” Haru said pushing Yamamoto’s shoulder with a grin. “You need to work on your bodyguarding skills. They’re lacking.”

Chrome appeared with Ryohei who was going on and on about how EXTREME the game was. A raised eyebrow from Haru made the girl blush and duck her head. Apparently Ryohei was the one who caught the Mist off guard.

“Che! We so showed you guys!” Gokudera said pleased making all three girls roll their eyes.

“Actually,” Reborn put in with a smirk, “they still managed to capture Kyoko-chan five more times after you began guarding her.”

“We will capture her more now that we know.” Bianchi said with a grin as she put her hands on her hips. “But first, lunch.”

“So, what are the rules? Reborn didn’t really know.” Tsuna asked as they ate.

“Those three have to capture me and I have to make sure they don’t. If they touch me than I’m captured.” Kyoko said with a sniff. “Which completely became a moot point because of someone.”

“Not true.” Reborn said with a smirk. “We’ll just modify the rules a bit. The boys will protect you, but they can’t get within a set radius of you. If the girls get through their perimeter than it will be up to you to not get captured.”

“But the teams are even more uneven.” Kyoko pointed out with her hands on her hips.

“Voi! That’s what you think!” Squalo said suddenly appearing as if by magic. Or rather, Haru looked over to find he had just jumped out of a car with Lussuria, Belphegor, and Levi close behind.

“Don’t you guys, I don’t know, have an assassination organization to run or something?” Haru asked shaking her head.

“Of course, girly.” Squalo said with a grin. “It just so happens we need to constantly liaison with the shitty boss of the main family for stuff. Why? Growing tired of us?”

“No, just concerned your wasting money on jet fuel.” She said sweetly getting a laugh from him.

“So, what’s the time limit you girls have when getting hit?” Reborn asked suddenly.

“Five minutes.” Bianchi said with a smile. “Why? Do we get to knock off the protection detail?”

“It’ll even the odds.” Reborn said with a smirk.

“HIEE! But the Varia!” Tsuna said motioning to the four commanders.

“So? It’s a good training exercise.” Reborn said with a smirk. “I don’t know why I haven’t thought of it before.”

“Because it was Haru’s idea?” Haru asked with a pointed look. “And you owe us a girls’ day.”

“Of course.” Reborn agreed, whether it was conceding to it being her idea or the boys owing them a girls’ day, Haru couldn’t tell.

After lunch the girls and the Varia were let loose into the woods with nifty headsets that came with a camera and built in communication. Haru supposed she could forgive Reborn for crashing their training exercise. But it was odd since only Bianchi and Chrome used it to coordinate their attacks.

Haru spent most of her time listening for the background noise picked up by the microphones on the Varia headsets. She could faintly hear the environment where they were and used the audio cues to locate their positions. It wasn’t hard to figure out they were using Bianchi and Chrome’s plans to make follow up attempts.

Haru instead began coordinating where Kyoko was going based on the movements of the others. It allowed her to move ahead of their target and lie in wait. With the others keeping the boys busy, Kyoko rarely noticed Haru about to spring on her.

“Caught you again, Kyoko-chan.” Haru said after catching the girl in another hug from behind.

“Haru! Would you stop that?! Where were you this time?!” Kyoko exploded but Haru was already off giggling for her next spot, while dodging a stray pellet from one of the boys as she broke their perimeter.

“Damn it woman!” Levi said finally breaking his silence. “Let the rest of us have a chance! How are you even doing that?”

“Haru is very skilled at hide and seek.” She answered as she gracefully flipped up into the branches of a tree.

“Kitsune is a fox, peasant.” Belphegor said with a sniff. “Of course, she would choose a training area where she knows the terrain.”

“Fuck, you’ve been using the ambient sound picked up by our mics, haven’t you?” Squalo said making Bianchi sputter.

“What?” The Scorpion asked while Haru fought a giggle.

“I was wondering why she wasn’t coordinating with you girls. She’s been keeping track of where we are and using our attempts to get into place, so she doesn’t have to sneak past the perimeter.” Squalo said before cursing again.

“Haru is surprise you worked that out, desu.” Haru said almost impressed.

“Oh, it’s on girly.” Squalo growled. “I might not know all the hiding spots in this wooded area, but I’m going to so show you up.”

“Haru is still in the lead.” Haru said with a sniff.

“Not for long!” Levi said with a huff.

“Guys we’re in a training exercise.” Chrome began as if to placate the assassins.

“So?” Bianchi and the Varia Commanders said in unison.

“Chrome-chan.” Haru sighed while shaking her head. “We’re on a team mostly made up of assassins. They of course would object to someone showing up their skill. Especially if that someone is just a cosplayer.”

“Cosplayers dress up in costumes and show off on a stage.” Squalo snapped. “They don’t sneak up on assassins. I don’t know what you are but you’re not just a cosplayer.”

“Of course not,” Bianchi said bemused. “She’s a cosplayer with ninja skills. She’s twice as deadly.”

“Well, Haru doesn’t know about deadly.” Haru said thoughtfully. “But she is a bit of a thief.”

“The prince agrees.” Belphegor said simply. “You have really sticky fingers, Kitsune.”

Haru smirked as she saw him walking below her. She couldn’t resist as she silently leaned back to hang from a low branch by her knees. It gave her just enough reach to snag the crown off his head.

“So, where is she?” Levi asked as Belphegor walked on.

“I think I found the area she’s in.” Belphegor said pausing a bit further from Haru’s location. “But the prince hasn’t spotted her.”

She smiled as he ran his hand through his hair before pausing.

“I walked passed you, didn’t I?” He grumbled, and she was sure he heard her muffled giggle over the microphone.

“How did you figure that?” Bianchi asked.

“The prince’s crown is missing.” Belphegor started to look around but Haru wisely moved to a spot on her current tree where she could hide behind the trunk.

“Shouldn’t we get back to trying to capture Kyoko-chan?” Chrome asked suddenly.

“I think we let them sweat enough.” Squalo said with what sounded like a large grin on his face.

“This time lets show them what Quality really is!” Levi cheered making the three girls snort.

Kyoko was captured far more easily after that. The Varia were no longer playing games, even if they only had training weapons to use. With Bianchi and Chrome still coordinated and Haru always a few steps ahead, Tsuna and his guardians didn’t stand a chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK!!!!!  
> I'll probably be posting once a day again, but no promises.


	20. Not A Vacation

The twentieth time she stole his crown, it started with a phone call after she got off work.

“Moshi-Moshi.” She had chirped into the phone, not bothering to look at the number.

“Little sweet,” A gruff soft male voice met her ear in fluent Russian, “are you busy next week?”

“Moscow,” She greeted happily, “let me check. Just a moment.”

She had carefully kept the call on while pulling up her calendar. While she was starting to really get into a war with one of the last two yakuza groups. She wasn’t as busy as she could be, and most of it could be put on hold for a bit.

“Nothing too major,” she reported after going back to the call. “Why? Need my help?”

“I’ve been asked to attend a meeting with,” He paused for a second, “some associates I’m none too fond of. If you can, mind being my sniper cover for three days? I know your skill, little sweet. And I would much rather you watch over me than that maniac Stockholm.”

“Stockholm is a qualified sniper.” She defended with a grin. “But I got your back.”

“You’re an angel, little sweet. I’ll send you the details as soon as possible.” Moscow said before hanging up.

Moscow wasn’t the most outspoken or even the most volatile of her associates. The most she seen him get angry is if someone messed with his firearms. Then again as a gun for hire, Moscow’s livelihood was the small armory he toted around in a duffle bag.

He was a simple man who liked his alcohol and a quiet place to park himself. He had a collection of beautiful bonsai trees he kept in his apartment. And outside of his old Irish Hound Ivan didn’t have much to his name or really wanted much more.

He also only had a select handful of people he truly didn’t like.

The moment she noticed where they were going she understood why he wanted sniper cover.

The organization they were apart of was split into groups. Each group had one person from any given country in the world with their capital as their codename. While each group had a different designation, theirs being CRO5-2443W, that didn’t mean everyone in that group got along.

Haru for example could get along fine with Beijing and Soule when they were behaving themselves. But the last time she and Kuala Lumpur got together, well they needed a new Kuala Lumpur. She prayed their new one would be better than the last.

Everyone had their favorites and they often organized their smaller groups around those favorites. Like London and Paris were two peas in a pod that rarely worked separately. While Ottawa worked alone unless absolutely necessary or her skills were specifically needed, even then she charged thirty percent extra on a job.

For Haru she loved working with Moscow, Rome, Berlin, and Athens. Of course, Rome and Athens didn’t play well together, much like her and Beijing. So rarely did she get to work with all four on one job.

For Moscow however the only one of their group he liked from Africa was Nairobi. His distaste with most of the others stemmed from one to many jobs in the war-torn parts of the continent. By the time Haru took the Tokyo position in the group, many of the African Capitals burned their bridges with Moscow.

So, when she saw their destination was Sierra Leone, she packed extra medical supplies and made sure to bring her armor piercing ammunition along with her antitank gun. If there was one member of the Capitals Moscow hated the most it was Freetown. The two having a bloody history that included some casual torture in the name of appearances and a dead fiancé.

Haru wasn’t really fond of Freetown either. She wasn’t even bias. The man grew up in the civil wars and hadn’t left the bloodthirsty madness behind him.

It wasn’t even fun bloodthirsty madness like Belphegor.

Their first meeting had Freetown suggesting they tie Haru down and show her a good time. He also ran a small army of young soldiers in the name of taking over his country to make it great again. Sometimes Haru wondered how different Capitals made it into the organization.

It was just a journey to get to the meeting point Moscow gave her. From getting on a plane and making it all the way to South Africa. Then taking a few short hopes on bush planes, many of which were flying under the radar, to catching a ride with a dubious group of poachers that fell for her backpacking doctor routine.

Still she made it to the little boarder town in Liberia where Moscow was waiting. She was surprised to see Monrovia also present. He wasn’t nearly as displeasing to Haru as Freetown, but the way Moscow sat with his favorite semiautomatic in his lap gave away her Russian’s thoughts on the matter.

“Tokyo girl!” Monrovia got up from the table to give her a hug. She was small compared to him as he topped the scale at six feet five inches and weighed a good two hundred forty pounds of pure muscle. With his dark skin and slightly scarred face, he was a bit intimidating if he wasn’t wearing a Hawaiian shirt with some board shorts.

“Changed your wardrobe lately?” She asked smiling at him. He was one of the older of the Capitals, almost fifty.

“Yes, I thought it best for a change.” He said with a grin. “I have done a lot of soul searching since the Ebola outbreak that took my beloved wife and youngest son. My daughter suggested I go on a vacation, so I did and came back a changed man. Though Moscow doesn’t seem to think so.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” Moscow said taking a drink of what appeared to be water. He had pulled his long hair back into a low ponytail. His icy blue eyes were sharp as ever, but he wore casual clothes, making him seem more of a tourist to help him blend in with his pale skin.

“Hey Moscow.” She said going over and tossing her arms around his wide shoulders. She wondered what was her life when most of her male friends topped six feet.

“You cut your hair, little sweet.” Moscow said his callous fingers brushing at the tips of her short hair.

“More like it got snagged during some training and I had to make do with what was left.” She said with a pout.

“That must have been some training.” Monrovia said with a raised eyebrow.

“I just ducked under a katana, nothing serious.” She shrugged. “It would have been my head if I hadn’t.”

“Still off being a ninja, I see.” Monrovia said with a grin. “And toting around a bag of medical supplies. Have you finally finished your training?”

“Yep.” She chirped. “I am officially a doctor now. But enough about me. How are you boys?”

“Well.” Moscow said simply. “Monrovia says there might be grounds to eliminate Freetown.”

“Really now?” She asked with her hands on her hips. “This I got to hear.”

Monrovia grinned before laying it out for them. The Capitals didn’t have many rules and regulations they had to follow. Each group sort of agreed to follow a certain set of terms that rarely changed, unless of course a major chunk petitioned the rest of the group to change something.

Usually it was ways to improve the group’s internal systems. Sometimes it was to set age limits for things. For instance, their group refused to kill anyone under the age of thirteen, unless the child in question was a child soldier and it was during open combat.

Similarly, they had a rule that if they did have minions, no child under the age of thirteen could kill in their name.

In the Maboroshi, and even the Namimori-kai, Haru had a few members toeing the line. But she absolutely refused to send them on sanctioned assassinations. She knew the rules and besides, she saw what the mafia did to children like Lambo and I-Pin.

Haru made sure the only jobs her baby minions had were to train and stay in school. Once they were a bit older she would let them ease into the gritter side of things. It didn’t stop the kids from picking up other bad habits though, like stealing for example.

The reason all that was important was because Monrovia had been watching Freetown. The Capital of Sierra Leone set up shop a stone’s throw away from Monrovia’s backyard. The two used to be good buddies and watched each other’s back, especially when it came to the other Capitals.

But apparently Monrovia was ready to come clean. He had a whole stack of files of both his and Freetown’s wrong doings. Even then, Monrovia’s transgressions were made during his helping Freetown in the civil war so could be overlooked.

“He’s still recruiting children as young as seven.” Monrovia sighed shaking his head. “I tried to speak with him about this. But he seems adamant that things will still remain as they have been. I would go myself, but he is expecting I will betray him eventually. He’s threatened my family and my associates as well as made threats of going to the other three Monrovia to report me.”

Haru grimace at the information as she looked through the files.

“So, what do you want? We can’t eliminate him without sanction from the other Capitals.” Moscow said with a sigh.

“It doesn’t need to be sanctioned if it is done for safety.” Monrovia said with a frown. “He is planning something big. I’m not sure what. But if you can find the evidence in his compound. That I am sure of.”

“And say, I do go in.” Moscow said in a shrewd way. “What help will you be if things go south?”

“I have transportation waiting for both of you should you need it. You will be on the first flight to Portugal. No need to check in with customs. I even spoke with Lisbon and he is willing to give you a pass if necessary.”

“Pays to have the airport under your thumb.” Haru said with a snort.

“Just as I am sure it pays to have the hospital in your command.” Monrovia said with a grin. “Please. You are the best I can think of that won’t turn me down.”

“Alright, but you pay us double.” Moscow said getting a nod from the African.

“Anything you want.” Monrovia said before motioning to someone. A truck was soon parked outside for the two of them. “There is already a whole in the border near his compound. It is far enough away that Tokyo should be able to find a good nest to camp in without him knowing and still be in range.”

So that was how Haru found herself covered under a sniper’s blind watching a compound through a scope. There wasn’t much she could do if the fighting happened indoors, but she could certainly cover Moscow’s escape. She knew her Russian was skilled enough to at least make it safely out the doors of any building in the complex for her to cover him.

Oddly enough everything was going fine for the first day and a half. From the radio she had in her ear that linked her to Moscow she heard nothing out of the ordinary. Freeman was still a bastard that was too far up his own ass, but was rather pleasant compared to the last few times she met him.

Of course, Freeman was trying to convince Moscow it was Monrovia who was in the wrong. So that might have had something to do with it. But Moscow wasn’t a man easily swayed by words and Monrovia was paying them in information and money.

It wasn’t long before things exploded, almost literally. Haru focused on covering Moscow’s escape and one of her bullets might have hit a gas tank in the chaos. Still within three hours she and Moscow were on the first flight to Portugal with a text from Monrovia that the money had been transferred to their accounts.

“Kami,” She said shaking her head as they sat on their private jet, “somedays I wonder if dealing with them is even worth it.”

“Sometimes, working with people you dislike is all part of the job, little sweet.” Moscow said as he cleaned his guns.

“Don’t I know it?” She shot back getting a slight huff that could have been a laugh. “So, what are you up to after we touch down?”

“Probably heading back home.” He said simply. “I have information on a terrorist camp in Siberia that’s been trafficking children. Their type is always worth a good ruble from the government. And you?”

“I got an independent Mafia assassin group poking their nose into my business. They’re tied to the Vongola and have been keen on seeing if I’d work with them. But I’m far too busy.” She said getting a laugh.

“Are you still working on that yakuza thing?”

“Yea, I’m almost four for five at this point but right now it’s stacking into a war.” She said with a sigh. “People just don’t like giving up their power so easily, you know?”

“That’s the way with most men.” Moscow agreed with a nod. “What do you plan on doing after we touch down?”

“Sightseeing? I haven’t had a day just to myself in a while. Besides, if I pick up a flight in Spain our trail will be harder to follow. What happen to Freeman anyway?”

“Dead, but he still has a few underlings loyal to him. Monrovia should be able to take them out easily enough. Questionable reform aside, he didn’t make it this long without skill.”

And so, Haru was spending the day touring the city of Barcelona for a day. She met up with Madrid who was happy to see her, but she had to run off for a job with Brasilia. Otherwise Haru was unmolested as she focused on being a tourist.

Then as she ate dinner on the balcony of a nice restaurant her day was interrupted.

“Well, fancy meeting you here Kitsune.”

She looked up to find Belphegor standing there with a smirk.

“You’re really stalking Haru aren’t you? This is how you always show up where Haru doesn’t want to see anyone, desu.” She sniffed getting a laugh from him as he sat down. “Haru never said you could join.”

“To bad, the prince is hungry.” He said with a grin. “So, you take three days off to go sightseeing in Spain? Why didn’t you bring the twins along? They should be learning about new cultures.”

“If you value your manhood then don’t tell Haru how to raise children.” She said simply. “And Sayuri-chan insists Haru takes a few days to herself occasionally. Something about how Haru is always focused on everyone else and never herself, desu.”

He hummed, “So where were you before you hit Spain? Mammy lost you on your hope over in Taiwan.”

Haru raised an eyebrow. “How Haru spends her vacation isn’t any of your concern, Belphegor-san.”

“Fair enough.” He said with a shrug. “Want to go out with me tonight? I just finished a job and we could have some fun.”

“Doing what exactly?” Haru narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Whatever you want. We could even rent some movies and binge on junk food in a hotel room.” He said with a grin. “Or you can get dolled up and I can show you all the expensive night clubs the prince knows.”

“Haru is on vacation.” She reiterated. “She doesn’t have time to babysit you.”

He sputtered quite nicely in her opinion. “The prince doesn’t need a minder.”

“Uh-huh.” She said teasingly. “Haru believes you.”

“I don’t.” He sniffed. “The prince can be very responsible.”

The rest of dinner was them arguing over whether Belphegor needed someone supervising him. Dinner flowed into desert where he was trying to convince her he was responsible. Desert moved to drinks at the bar of his hotel then flowed almost seamlessly into the two of them going out to the clubs.

She wasn’t sure how he managed to talk his way into her evening. But as they danced on the dancefloor of some club he got them into without having to wait in line, she didn’t really care. She might not have had the most relaxing of vacations, but she enjoyed herself.

She also snagged his crown as she was pressed up against him while they danced. He didn’t even seem to mind this time. Instead he snagged it back and put it on her head before wrapping his arm around her shoulders and leading her off to someplace else.

He even left her at her hotel room door with a grin and a promise that next time they would dance properly. She didn’t like the sound of that, but he left before she could get a clarification. It would figure that when she returned home there would be a bottle of alcohol waiting for her, as well as an invitation to the upcoming Vongola Ball.

She rolled her eyes as she read the nervous looking scrawl of Tsuna’s handwriting saying she didn’t have to attend if she was busy.


	21. Vixen of the Ball

The twenty-first time she stole his crown, she spent the night dancing in the arms of Dino Chiavarone. Under normal circumstances she wouldn’t have minded too much. She usually was rather excited about attending the grand parties the Vongola tended to throw just as much as the rest of the girls.

But that was before she got her tattoos.

It was another tradition thing Hiroyuki and the others pushed on her. She didn’t mind too horribly, her back was already scarred, what was another thing to hide. But Yakuza tattoos tended to quite large and often rather visible with certain clothing items.

She was at least grateful to her subordinates that they didn’t push her to get her full body tattooed like some of them. Instead she had gotten a sleeve of tattoos stretching from her left shoulder down to her elbow. It was also slightly altered so it wasn’t like the more traditional dragons, koi, and oni her subordinates favored.

The most prominent picture was the nine-tailed fox that stretched down her outer bicep. A sleek beast that was mostly outlining to give it an appearance that it was silver in color even if the lines were slightly tribal looking in nature. The nine tails wrapping around her shoulder in a wild array.

The tails curved around a lotus flower with the Namimori-kai seal artfully displayed in the bloodiest of reds. The rest of the picture was a few cloud accents before tapering off into the more traditional artwork of a dragon and Sakura blossoms. She wondered how much insight Belphegor had when he gave her the nickname Kitsune, but she found it suited her well and went with it.

The tattooing process wasn’t even that painful. Their inhouse artist still used the old needle and tap method which if she was honest would have caused her some distress before. But she doubted anything would quite top getting her wing or giving birth at this point.

She _liked_ the tastefully displayed art.

The problem was having such a large tattoo wrapping around her shoulder and arm wasn’t conducive to wearing dresses. Even if she wore the more conservative dresses of the three girls that usually attended under Tsuna’s invite. And while she did know how to cover her tattoos with waterproof concealer, so they disappeared, she was rather sparing as the makeup required was quite expensive.

It took her nearly three days to find the most suitable dress she could wear. _Three days_ of ripping through her closet and trying on everything. The only time she spent this long figuring out what to wear was when she was first trying to find ways to conceal weapons in the skimpiest of clothes she used undercover.

She didn’t really want to go and buy a new set of dresses just for this little hiccup in her life.

Finally, she had settled on a beautiful crimson number with quarter length sleeves and a black lace overlay. The eye catching red fabric had a rather plunging neckline that would make many of the locals blush if she wore it as is. It also came with a floor length skirt with a slit that cut almost all the way up to her right hip.

It’s redeeming feature was the lace overlay. The soft netted fabric hugged the base of her neck as it draped down her shoulders to give a tasteful pattern to the rather plain crimson fabric. The lace also cascaded down her arms forming a bell of fabric around her hands drawing the eye away from the slight peaking of a bit of ink near her collarbone.

There were also some small crystals in the lace to give the dress a bit of shine. It had been a gift from Beijing oddly enough. Something she swore she would never wear despite his adamant proclamations that she would look stunning in it.

She cursed the bastard as she stood in front of her mirror and saw how the fabric clung to her body like a glove. The skirt was maybe an inch too long at her feet but nothing a pair of heels couldn’t correct. Not to mention the little bit of ink that was revealed easily blended into the intricate design of the lace making it impossible for even the sharpest of eyes to distinguish between the two.

She chose to wear her strappy silver four-inch peep toe pumps for the occasion. The shoes going well with the silver earrings that dangled almost to her shoulders and the few silver bracelets she chose to wear. It made the dress appear classier even if it drew the eye to the hint of skin under the lace near her chest.

She went with the silver, red, and black scheme for her makeup as well. Sinfully crimson lips, dark catlike eyeliner, and a dusting of silver eyeshadow that shaped her eyes until they weren’t nearly as innocent looking. Her short hair didn’t really need much adding to, just a bit of gel to make the page-boy hair cut artfully messy in the back as the long fringe she now had framed her face.

She barely recognized the woman in the mirror as her. Not one of her characters she created to blend in. But the actual Haru Miura.

She looked a bit older and far sexier than she was originally going for. She decided that was the point when Beijing gave her the dress. He was always trying to doll her up into something far nicer than what she was.

She couldn’t even fault him when she easily slid on her garter that let her attach her hidden weapon pouch to her left leg. While she wouldn’t be bringing her guns with her, a few extra knives wouldn’t go remised. Especially when the more indulgent of the guests began drinking and let their hands wander where they shouldn’t go.

So, with that, she grabbed her silver handbag and headed off with her invitation to the Vongola Ball.

“Haru! You made it!” Yamamoto was the first to greet her with a hug.

“Of course,” She said grinning as she pushed his shoulder, “Haru does like dancing.”

“Haru-chan.” Tsuna greeted with a smile. “I’m glad you made it.”

Haru raised an eyebrow but smiled in return. “Kyoko-chan made it as well.”

“Yea.” Tsuna slumped a little. “I kind of need to thank you. She wants to give us another shot but I’m apparently still in hot water.”

“Just treat her well and things will smooth themselves out.” Haru said petting his cheek. “You’re a good man under all the insecurity and stupidity.”

“Did you learn how to give compliments from Reborn?” Tsuna asked with a grin.

“Haru is just calling it as she sees it, desu.” She said with a grin. “So what occasion do we owe this extravaganza?”

“Tsuna’s been working to make Namimori more of a home base.” Yamamoto said as Tsuna was dragged off to socialize with some older men. “As part of that he has to make connections with some of the criminal organizations in Asia. Reborn and Fon decided to extend an offer to the Triads.”

“What about the Yakuza?” She asked with a frown. “Haru is sure they won’t be pleased with this.”

“Reborn figures if we get the backing of the Triads we will have backup if things go south.” Yamamoto said with a frown. “Hibari-san wants to talk to us about this actually. He hasn’t been pleased since finding out about it. Everyone thinks it has to deal with Fon-san, but something tells me it’s deeper than that.”

“Haru will speak with him. Since her spat with the building commission she has the most sway there. Are you still in control of the trade commission?” She asked as she let her eyes scan the area. No one was paying them any mind, but she knew a few ears would be listening in.

“And the transit commission.” Yamamoto said with a nod. “I figure with him running the Disciplinary Committee he would need our help should things spill over and start involving civilians. How are things at the hospital?”

“Busy but quiet.” She said thoughtfully. “Nakamori-san has been a real boon to the upper management. She’s cleared out all the more corrupt employees and has since hired on more qualified individuals. Even my department head is new, but I’ve known Fukuda-sensei since I started the training program. He’s good people.”

“I take it that really backed up paperwork.” He said with a smile.

“We might be sorting through the mess, but we’ve already come across a few misfiled records already.” She said with a sigh hiding her grin. “It’ll probably take half a year or more before things are sorted. I hear accounting especially has been tearing their hair out at the mess.”

“I’m glad I’m not one of them.” He said with a grin. “I barely passed my math exam.”

She snorted. “So how are things with your father?”

“As they always have been.” He said pleased. “He actually wanted to thank you for helping out with the shop a few months back.”

“He doesn’t need to do that.” She said rolling her eyes. “He’s practically family. Haru was happy to help.”

“Haru-kun! Is that you?” She turned to find Dino Chiavarone blinking at her in surprise.

“Dino-san!” She chirped with a smile. “It’s good to see you again. How have you and your men been?”

The blonde Italian didn’t answer as he stood in his tailored suit. Instead he sort of stared at her with his mouth hung open and his eyes wide. She knew it had been a while since they last saw each other but she wasn’t certain she warranted that sort of shock.

“We have been well, Haru-san.” Romario said with a smile. “You seem to be well, but I never thought I’d see the day you cut your hair.”

“A minor accident,” She said pushing some of her longer hair behind her ear, though it easily fell back into place next to her face. “Haru didn’t like the future picture of her with short hair. It didn’t fit her face too well. But she supposes this length is better and far easier to manage, desu.”

Dino cleared his throat, “It looks wonderful, Haru-kun.”

She beamed at him, “Thank you. It still feels weird to have it so short but Haru is getting used to it.”

Dino smiled at her, eyes never leaving her. She could practically feel how tense Yamamoto was next to her. It was odd, and a swift glance shown the Rain was eyeing the Chiavarone Don suspiciously.

“But if you gentlemen won’t mind excusing Haru-chan. She has yet to speak with Kyoko-chan and she just knows her friend will be sour with her if we don’t at least greet one another.” She said deciding to step away from the growing tension around her.

She gave one last smile to Romario before sweeping away into the crowds. She only glanced back once to see Yamamoto suddenly crowding the don she had been talking to. He was such a good overprotective brother figure sometimes.

It was surprisingly not the first time Dino was rendered speechless by her. The first time was when he tagged along with Tsuna and the others to one of her very last gymnastic competitions. After the competition she caught up with her friends and the blonde had spent most of the time silent while staring at her.

Yamamoto had stepped in to speak with him that time as well.

She didn’t mind the attention too much. Dino had always been a good friend and influence on Tsuna. But she hadn’t really spent much time with the don even when they were sent to the future.

In that future she knew she was a candidate to marry the Chiavarone Don. It was a calculated marriage born to help strengthen ties with the dwindling resistance against Byakuran. While at the time she didn’t mind, some part of her just cringed as she thought of the others deciding something like that for her.

She had nothing against Dino specifically. He was a good man who took care of those under his command. But the thought of an arrange marriage just sent a wave of disgust through her that she couldn’t really name.

She pushed those thoughts aside and found the other girls. It would soon be a normal ball. She would watch over Kyoko, Bianchi, and Chrome so they didn’t cause too much trouble while the boys did their thing.

Or it should have been a normal ball.

“So, this is where you snuck off to, Kitsune.” Belphegor said looking at the table with the other girls. “The prince is upset you didn’t think to come say hello. How can I ask you to dance if you’re hiding?”

Haru didn’t think Bianchi needed to choke on her drink.

“Maybe Haru didn’t wish to dance, desu.” She said swirling a flute of champagne. “Besides, there are many other potential dance partners for you to choose from, Belphegor-san.”

“Ah, but none of them are as interesting.” He said with a grin. “Don’t tell me you’re going back to playing hard to get. You didn’t mind dancing with the prince while you were on vacation.”

Haru felt Bianchi eyeing her and almost glared at the prince. Instead she paused as she looked at where his eyes would be. Then she took a moment to slowly eye him, first starting from the top then going down.

Her eyes were even slower to rake up his tailored suit before stopping at eye level again. She didn’t miss how he stood just a bit straighter or how he grinned at her. Then she gave a dismissive huff and turned away.

“Haru doesn’t want to risk getting her feet stepped on. Why don’t you go off and play with those girls over there?” She said motioning with her champagne flute to a group of giggling girls. “They seem far more interested in you than Haru will ever be.”

Instead of being offended or frowning, his grin widened just a tad.

“Come now, Kitsune. You know I’m a better dancer than that.” He said, and she made a point of crossing her legs, so they pointed away from him. “Is this because I stepped into your vacation? I thought we were over this. I certainly didn’t need a minder on our night out.”

“It seems to me, the princess isn’t interested in your advances.” A new voice cut in that almost made her choke on her champagne.

Her eyes cut quickly to the side where the intruder stood. She was surprised to see him here of all places. She was sure he cut ties with the Triads at least two years ago.

Beijing was a handsome man. His silken hair pulled back in a small ponytail was as dark as the abyss of his tilted onyx eyes. She always likened him to a cat turned human, with sharp tilting edges and hard planes that somehow remained aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

His slim build belayed the powerful physique she knew he had. Much like Fon, he spent years studying martial arts though his talents lied more with technology. Topping the scale at just under six feet he wasn’t the tallest of her associates, but he still towered over her by nearly a foot.

“Oh! It’s you.” She simply said as she raked her eyes over him in the same manner she had just done to Belphegor. “What displeasure do I owe our meeting this time?”

She had to admit he cut a gorgeous figure. Instead of the western suits the mafiosos were sporting, he had on a pair of soft looking black dress pants and a crimson mandarin jacket. He could have stepped out of a Chinese drama, but she supposed it was rather standard given many of the Triad members weren’t dressed to dissimilarly.

“Shouldn’t I be the one displeased to cross paths with you again?” He asked with a charming smile. “After all, it seems every time we meet I have another near-death experience.”  
She hummed. “The last time you were asking for it.”

“And the Camaro?” He raised an eyebrow.

“If I recall, you were the one to step in the way.” She said simply getting a grin.

“A little hard to step in the way when you’re on the other side of a guardrail, princess.” He said pleasantly. She just shrugged and took a sip of her champagne. He hummed. “I suppose I can let that one go. After all it’s not every day a woman tosses a car at me. Besides, it truly is heartwarming seeing you in that dress. I had a feeling you’d wear it well.”

From the corner of her eye she noticed Belphegor frown.

“I’d say the dust it gathered still makes the lace a bit itchy.” She said rolling her eyes. “But that would just mean you would offer to take it off for me. Your pick-up lines have always been the worst.”

“You’re the only woman I met who seems to think so.” He put in easily.

She felt her lips curl slightly. “Then why don’t you run along and try your luck elsewhere. It’s clearly wasted here.”

“My luck hasn’t run out yet. I’ve survived every other encounter with you after all.” He said crossing his arms looking a bit smug. “If I’ve made it this far, what’s a little further?”

“Tempting fate, hmm? I never took you for the type.”

“Perhaps not fate, but you certainly are the tempting type.”

“I would take that as a compliment if I didn’t know your preferred type is a demeaning female stereotype.”

“That’s not true. There is nothing stereotypical about you.”

Someone cleared their throat and Haru titled her head to dart her eyes to the sound. Bianchi had a smirk behind her hand, which was never good. Not to mention Belphegor was looking like he wanted to go for his knives.

“So, who is this Haru-chan.” Bianchi said eyeing Beijing like a cat would a mouse.

“That’s a good question.” She said before turning a pleasant smile to her colleague. “What fake name will you give me this time? Please refrain from Gabriel and Hiro, you never could wear either of them well.”

Beijing chuckled with a pleasant smile. “They know me as Sheng. But like I said before, call me whatever you like, princess.”

“I would,” She began her lips curling to a sly smile, “but somehow I doubt you’d understand how to respond to Idiot.”

She ignored the way both Chrome and Kyoko choked on their drinks.

He barely twitched. “I try not to respond to false claims.”

“It’s hardly false if it’s true. Or do we have to discuss our run-in in Kyoto?” She asked with a challenging eyebrow raised.

His twitch was barely noticeable. “I admit I wasn’t at my best. But we’re all allowed an off day. Wouldn’t you agree, princess?”

“I would but it seems whenever we meet you’re never at the top of your game.” She said with a smirk. “Why should I bother if you don’t at least try to put in a little effort?”

“Or perhaps I just enjoy your caring nature. You are very thorough every time you examine me for injuries.” He said with a smirk.

“Only because it would be a waste of supplies if you died after I put you back together.” She sniffed. “It’s bad enough you haven’t paid me back for that incident in Koto.”

“Which would you prefer, another dress or some jewels? Your measurements are quite fetching.” He said with an almost wicked smirk.

“I’d prefer scalpels and medical grade needles, but you would never willingly give me something that could be turned in to a weapon.” She said with a disappointed sigh.

“Maybe because the last time I did, you stabbed me.” He said pleasantly.

“It’s not my fault you don’t know how to keep your hands to yourself.” She said blinking at him. “But I can’t fault you too much. You are just a classless bastard after all.”

“Sheng!” Fon cut in before Beijing could respond even though he looked like he really wanted to.

“Fon.” Beijing greeted with a pleasant smile.

“Have you met the Vongola Don, Sawada Tsunayoshi?” Fon asked motioning to Tsuna who had followed him, Reborn a step behind.

“I have not. It is a pleasure to meet you.” Beijing said pleasantly. “Fon has told me quite pleasant things about you. It’s admirable what you’ve been trying to do within your Famiglia.”

“It’s nice to meet you as well. Though I can’t say I’ve heard much of you.” Tsuna said glancing over at the table and blinking at the girls.

Haru was eyeing Beijing a bit smugly. She did in fact get the last word in before they were interrupted. He wouldn’t leave it at that, no doubt, but she could avoid that if she tried.

“Belphegor-san!” Tsuna yelped noticing the hovering Prince the Ripper next to her shoulder.

“Hello Sawada-san.” Belphegor said with an obvious grin.

Beijing narrowed his eyes at the blonde next to her. She could tell the two were about to get into a dick measuring competition. Beijing heard of her run-ins with Belphegor already, and she just knew things would get explosive soon.

She set down her nearly empty flute of champagne and slipped off her seat. She easily twirled around Belphegor and slipped up to Fon. She almost smirked as he nearly stumbled as she tugged his hand towards the dance floor.

The smooth move almost went unnoticed as Beijing and Belphegor set their stances.

“Come along, Haru wishes to dance. Since those two boys would rather see whose dick is longer, she will have to make due with you.” She said simply getting a startled chuckle from the Arcobaleno she just snagged.

“And how do you know I won’t step on your feet?” He asked as he twirled her into his arms as they stepped onto the dancefloor.

“It’s a simple waltz, Fon-san. If you can’t remember four steps, then I would question your abilities with kata.” She said with a smirk.

“You’re a dangerous woman.” He said with a pleasant smile as he began to gracefully lead her across the dancefloor.

“I don’t know about dangerous.” She said with a smirk. “I’m currently following your lead after all.”

“Haru-san, you have four dons and over twice as many assassins currently eyeing you.” He said twirling her around before pulling her back into his embrace. “If that’s not dangerous I don’t know what is.”

“It’s the dress.” She said dismissively. “Haru wouldn’t wear it but it was one of the only ones she had available. If Haru knew Sheng would be here, she would have chosen differently.”

“How do you know him?” Fon asked as they flowed into another song. “I was surprised he knew anyone else here outside of our associates from China.”

“Would you believe me if I said I nearly crashed a car on him?” She asked getting a laugh. “Don’t laugh. It was a beautiful Camaro.”

“And what were you doing behind the wheel of a Camaro?” He grinned.

“I might have stolen it after nearly getting kidnapped. They wanted Tsuna-san’s girlfriend and I’ve always been good at acting. My get away could have gone a little better though.” She said getting a snort from him.

“So, you’re his mysterious doctor that always turns him down. He hasn’t been able to shut up about you whenever you two cross paths.”

“All good things I hope.”

“If I’m to believe him, you’re a goddess of healing and damnation.”

“Healing perhaps, but Haru thinks damnation is pushing it a bit too far.”

Suddenly she blinked as she noticed the slight change to the song. She recognized the opening strings of the new song almost instantly. So, she raised an eyebrow as Fon smirked at her.

“ _Querer_?” She purred feeling the slight shudder of his shoulders under her fingers. “Do you tango, Fon-san?”

“Do you?” He challenged before she was swept into a rather dramatic dip.

She almost couldn’t wipe her grin off her lips as she easily matched him step for step. It was fun. Even if she could feel the eyes of so many people on them.

She was glad Fon looked like he was fifteen or sixteen. Even with the added four inches of her heels he was still an inch taller than her. She knew he wasn’t the tallest of the Arcobaleno, but it would have been awkward if he was shorter than her.

“You’re armed.” She heard him purr into her ear as she hooked her right leg around his waist.

She felt her lips curl. “A habit from far too much time around Hibari-kun.”

“I would think Reborn would be the influence of that one.” He said before twirling her into a dramatic dip again.

Once she was brought back up into his arms she smirked. “I’m female. Reborn-chan lives in a man’s world.”

She caught his smirk, but he said nothing as they continued dancing. By the time the song finished she was unsurprised to hear clapping. But Fon just twirled her into the next song, another waltz.

“So, where’d you learn how to tango?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Drama club, I may have been the costume designer but when we preformed Rent my friend needed help with the Tango Maureen dance.” She said with a smirk. “You?”

“Skull, actually, he was unimpressed I didn’t know how to dance properly.” He said with a chuckle.

“And how is Skull-sama? I haven’t seen him in a while.” She asked with a smirk.

“I’m not sure. He dropped off the radar about a year and a half ago. We’ve all been on the look out for him, but so far he’s remained elusive.” Fon said with a frown. “He’ll reappear when he wishes, but that doesn’t make Reborn anymore pleasant to be around when he’s brought up. Those two always had an affect on each other. If Reborn wasn’t giving Skull grief than Skull was being an annoying brat to Reborn. I’d almost say their relationship has always been a bit toxic.”

“He’s the Immortal Skull-sama.” She reassured. “He’ll appear eventually. He probably doesn’t want any of you picking on him because all of you are going through puberty again.”

He hummed. “So, do you only know the waltz and tango?”

“I can salsa and mambo. But you look more like a foxtrot. Luckily that is among my many talents.” She said getting a laugh from him.

“You’d be surprised. I do know how to move my hips.” He said with a chuckle. “Have I mentioned that you’re dangerous?”

“Of course, don’t tell me you’re already starting to suffer from Alzheimer’s.” She said only to be swept up into a samba.

She was thankful to Brasilia who helped expand her dancing. While they stuck to the basic steps it was still rather challenging to remain coordinated. She rare had time to practice her samba after all.

A few more dances and she had to take a break. Still it was fun, and she was surprised by how at ease she now felt around him. She still felt a bit of tension being so close to the World’s Strongest Storm, but there was something pleasant about how in control he was.

She got a drink and tucked herself into a quiet corner. She was pleased to see she was far enough away from the mess that was Belphegor and Beijing. The two looked about ready to go to blows by this point and she wondered how they didn’t start while she was dancing with Fon.

She figured it would be inevitable that she would have a few others approach her for a dance. She politely refused saying she needed to catch her breath. But they still hovered not far, probably waiting to scoop up a chance once she was ready.

Her savior turned out to be Dino who slid up to her.

“I didn’t know you could tango.” He said making her smile.

“Funny what drama club can teach you.” She said getting a laugh. “So what sort of dressing down did Yamamoto-kun give you this time?”

He smiled at her. “How can you be sure it was a dressing down?”

“I know that frowny face look he gets when he is displeased and protective. He had to have said something to you.” She raised an eyebrow.

“He did. But that’s between men.” He said with a wink. “How did you end up on the dance floor with Fon-san? I thought you weren’t too fond of him.”

“He’s enjoyable company, if a bit intimidating.” She said with a shrug. “Something has to be going on behind that pleasant smile of his.”

“Well I can’t argue with that.” He chuckled before extending his hand. “While I can’t attest to being as verse a dancer as him. Would you allow me at least one waltz?”

“I suppose one dance won’t hurt.” She said taking his hand. He plucked her glass from her fingers and slid it onto a tray of one of the waiters before leading her to the dance floor.

Dancing with Dino was as easy as dancing with Fon. Both were well practiced in the dances they knew and easily lead her across the floor. It helped that Dino was also pleasant company.

They spent more time talking about the horses his family raised than anything else. It was relaxing since she didn’t have to talk about Tsuna or any of the others. She also didn’t need to do much of the talking, just ask him a few questions every now and then.

She bet the young fouls born in the spring were adorable.

In the ease she almost missed the warm feeling that brushed against her hands. She felt a jolt as she suddenly narrowed her eyes at the Don she was currently in the arms of. He looked surprised as he blinked down at her.

“Careful, Chiavarone.” She almost growled.

He gave her an apologetic smile. “I meant nothing by it. But I thought you were a Lightning.”

“Perhaps I was in another life.” She said with a sniff causing him to chuckle.

“I am sorry. It was a lapse on my part.” He said sincerely. “Does Tsuna know?”

“Know?” She prompted.

“That you’re Active? I couldn’t tell until…” He paused. “You’ve had some training then.”

“No, he doesn’t, and I’d like to keep it that way. He grew up under Reborn-chan’s influence, Dino-san. He’s just now remembering that the world isn’t just populated by men.” She said curtly getting a grin and nod from him.

“But that does explain why Xanxus-san has been glaring at me since we stepped onto the dance floor. Does he know?” Dino asked eyes darting over her head.

“Not to my knowledge.” She said refusing to glance behind her. “Haru has been doing her best to stay below the radar. Having something like that known is far too much trouble than it’s worth.”

“Understandable.” He said with a nod. “And you can relax. I won’t bite.”

She gave a slightly unconvinced hum. “I should warn you that Hibari-kun and I tend to spar quite often.”

He flinched, and she felt him back off. It was a strange sensation because neither of them moved from the distance they set for their dance. But something pulled away from her and made her relax just a tad.

Regardless he kept a respectable distance from her. So, she soon found herself relaxing at the ease of their conversation again. If he could respect her boundaries there was no need to get snippy with him after all.

That still didn’t ease the slight tension that he knew. She would have to be more careful around him from now on. Skies were always looking for their Elements after all, and Haru wasn’t too keen on being tied down just yet, or ever if she could help it.

She still spent the rest of the night dancing with Dino until he was torn away to talk with a few of the other Dons. That was fine with her because at that point Bianchi was getting ready to start a food fight. Not to mention Kyoko was almost passed out on a table and Chrome was swaying far too much to stand properly.

She was almost surprised when the Varia once again helped her get the girls into her car. She was doubly surprised when a sullen Belphegor flopped down in the seat next to her. She wanted to say something but the frown he was sporting suggested he was one wrong word from lashing out.

This time all three girls passed out before she even got to Kyoko’s. She was just glad Belphegor was nice enough to carry the girls since she didn’t have to. Kyoko’s parents weren’t too keen to see the duo with their daughter but by now knew Haru was always looking out for the idol.

It was after they dropped off Chrome that Belphegor finally scuffed.

“So?” He asked.

“So?” She repeated. “I need more than that, Belphegor-san. You could be talking about the weather or the ball.”

She noticed how his lips twitched just slightly before he forced his frown.

“So, how do you know Sheng?” He asked making her sigh.

“Back when I was the only one looking out for Kyoko-chan.” She began deciding to stick with the Camaro story. “I nearly got captured while pretending to be her. In my rather haste getaway I might have borrowed a car from someone I don’t know. They of course gave chase and it ended up with me crashing my borrowed car after riding a guardrail for a few hundred feet. I was fine, but I nearly took off Sheng’s head. He stepped in when my pursuers caught up and got shot for his efforts. I patched him up and since then we seem to run into each other every so often. Usually when he needs medical assistance and I’m on some wayward adventure of my own.”

“The Camaro.” Belphegor said making her nod before he chuckled. “Do you really almost kill him every time you see him?”

“It’s always an accident.” She defended making him laugh.

“You have the strangest friends, Kitsune.” He said shaking his head with a hissing chuckle.

“You know you just called yourself strange right?” She asked eyeing him for a second at a stop sign.

“You consider me your friend?” He asked surprised.

“Do you honestly think after everything we’ve gone through I wouldn’t? Admittedly we have a rather unique friendship, but we aren’t normal people. Besides,” She patted his thigh absently, “between you and Sheng I prefer your company.”

He didn’t respond but she saw his large grin from the corner of her eye.

“You know, I never did get that dance I promised you.” He pointed out and she snorted.

“Maybe next time.” She said with a shrug. “It’d be better than dancing with Dino-san or Fon-san at least.”

“You’re still not comfortable around Storms are you.” He said with a sigh.

“I’m getting better.” She defended. “I’m comfortable around you. But then again, that doesn’t say much about my sanity.”

“The prince thinks your perfectly sane, Kitsune.” He said with a huff. “You have no history of mental illness and you function well in society. That seems to be the definition of a perfectly sane individual.”

“I would take your word for it, but I know you’re not a qualified professional.” She said dryly with a bit of a smirk. “Do you need me to drop you off at your hotel?”

“Sure, why not. It saves the prince a late-night walk.” He said with a shrug.

The drive to his hotel was pleasant. She got to hear all about his confrontation with Sheng and how freaked out Tsuna was through all of it. She even laughed at some of the low blows Belphegor managed to get in, mostly because of how proud he was of them.

When she pulled up to the curb she had to reach over and toss her arms around him. He gave a slight jerk but otherwise didn’t seem too offended. She just couldn’t help herself.

“Thank you.” She said into his neck. “I know it wasn’t your intention. But I really don’t like dealing with Sheng for very long. So, thank you for keeping him away from me.”

“Anytime, Kitsune.” He said briefly hugging her back.

“Have a nice night, Belphegor-san.” She said as she pulled away, snagging his crown as she went.

“You too, Kitsune.” He said with a grin before exiting the car.

She left before he realized she snagged his crown. It had been a long night and from the sounds of it, she was in for a long week. She didn’t even want to know how explosive her next meeting with Hibari and Yamamoto would be given what she learned at the party.

She hoped it wasn’t too damaging to her friendships. Then again, she knew Yamamoto enough. He probably would laugh himself silly when he realized just who the Vongola were up against in terms of the local Yakuza.


	22. Taking Sides

The twenty-second time she stole his crown, she was abducted by the Varia. It had been a hell of a week up to that point anyway. So being dragged into the back of a car was not out of the realm of what she was expecting.

It had started with the ball. Then it was a meeting with Hibari who was less than pleased that Tsuna decided to make a move in Namimori without informing him. Yamamoto and she had a hard time convincing the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee to not bite his Sky to death.

On a plus side she got full backing of both Hibari and Yamamoto. Meaning when the inevitable did happen and she met with the Vongola officially, they would pull their support in favor of being neutral. Add in the fact she knew she had Mukuro in her pocket, well Tsuna would soon find himself with one less leg to stand on in negotiations.

Of course, what she wasn’t anticipating was her own meeting with the Triads. Apparently, they were scouting the field and wanted to get a feel for how the Yakuza in Namimori were operating. It wasn’t long before they heard of the ongoing but very quiet war between Namimori-kai and Nishimura-gumi.

She was sure she nearly gave Fon a heart attack when he played bodyguard for the Triads’ representatives. But she took the chance and rolled with it, letting the representatives a small peek at her secret files on the CEDEF. The appreciative look Fon sent her probably should have made her more wary than smug but she was beyond caring at that point.

Within three days she gained allies from China while cutting the Vongola off from ties with the Triads. Reborn threw a hissy fit when he found out and even demanded Fon tell him why at gun point. The Arcobaleno Storm calmly stated one of the Yakuza leaders had valuable information the Triads felt was more important than what Tsuna was offering them.

She was more impressed that Fon never once glanced her way through it all.

The only downside was Beijing got himself elected as her go between with the Triads. Fon just barely stopped her from shooting her grinning associate, by hitting her arm up so her shot missed by a foot. Needless to say, Fon was sticking around to be a mediator between the two of them, which in hindsight was probably a good thing, maybe.

The only good thing from that was the fact she got some of the best the Triads could offer to help her with the Nishimura-gumi. Hiroyuki was well into the mess that would absorb the remnants of the Yakuza group into Namimori-kai. So, she only had to deal with some administrative paperwork to sign off on everything.

On the plus side she was already in negotiations with the Miyazaki-kai. Their leader, Mamoru Sakamoto, was an elderly man who lost his only son to the military. Miyazaki-kai was also the smallest of the five Yakuza groups that dwelt in Namimori, having lost many of their numbers to the other groups over the years.

Sakamoto wanted his men to be well cared for and was rather pleased that she hadn’t turned her sights onto them the first chance she got. In truth she had never really seen them as a threat, given the reports the Maboroshi were giving her. And she could use someone like Sakamoto in her group to help be an advisor for when she had to meet with the other yakuza outside of Namimori.

So, with a week like that, including her actual day job, she wasn’t surprised to be ambushed.

“Fucking hell,” she muttered as she found herself sprawled on a leather seat, “can today stop?”

“Bad day, Kitsune?” She heard Belphegor snicker and she just sighed.

“It appears it’s gotten worse.” She said pushing herself into a seated position. She was in the back of a stretch limo with the entirety of the Varia command smirking at her, save for Fran.

“It’ll get even more worse if you don’t cooperate, trash.” Xanxus said grinning at her from the other end of the limo.

He was sprawled on a seat with his back against the dividing glass to the front of the limo. Somehow, he made his position look like a throne. Meanwhile the other Varia commanders lined the seats on the sides with Squalo being the one closet to the door she was helped through.

“Why do I sense a threat?” She asked blinking at them.

“Because it might be.” Squalo said helpfully. “You’ve been really busy girly.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” She snipped crossing her arms.

“How about our spies reporting that you’ve been meeting with the Triad representatives?” Mammon suggested pleasantly.

She raised an eyebrow. “Please tell me you’re not just finding out about that now. I always held your information network in high regard, Mammon-chan.”

He frowned. “How long have you been meeting with them?”

She smirked shaking her head. “Now that would be telling.”

“Fucking cut the crap, trash. We know you have an in with the Triads. The question is, just whose side are you on?” Xanxus said glaring at her. It was rather intimidating she had to admit, the crimson of his eyes almost seemed to glow in the tinted shadows of the limo.

“Whose side?” She asked tapping her finger against her lip. She could answer that in a verity of ways. “It depends on which sides we’re taking here. So far, I’ve only been on my side.”

“Let me clarify it then.” Xanxus just about growled. “Are you working for or against the Vongola?”

She shrugged. “Which part? From where I’m sitting there’s several factions working under that title. There’s you, the CEDEF, the Main Branch which Tsuna-san leads, Kyo-Kyo and his little squad, and of course Mukuro-san and his gang of miscreants.”

“She has a point.” Levi grumbled with a frown.

“It doesn’t fucking matter. Which are you working for?” Xanxus pressed making her snort.

“Oddly enough, I’ve just been running errands for Kyo-Kyo. Tsuna-san’s latest plots have put a rather large wrench in his own plans. Too bad Tsuna-san still can’t hold a conversation with Kyo-Kyo without the risk of having a panic attack. He would have realized there were other things in play before making things so complicated.” She said with a shrug.

“Errands?” Lussuria asked with a frown. “You seem to be running quite a few of those for Hibari-san. Just what is he up to? And how much is he paying you?”

“I honestly don’t know what his end goal is.” She said with a hapless smile. “As for payment, well, it depends on the errand I suppose. Sometimes I turn him down simply because he expects me to jump when he tells me to.”

Xanxus snorted. “What errands has he have you been doing?”

“I really don’t have to tell you. That’s between Kyo-Kyo and Haru.” She said with a smirk. “He even made me sign a confidentiality form and everything. If you want to know you’ll have to ask him. My lips are sealed.”

Xanxus gave her a disgruntled look at that. “And I take it we won’t even be able to torture it out of you. I heard about your scars.”

Haru shrugged. “I’m rather protective of my people. And Kyo-Kyo is one of my people, no matter what he says.”

Squalo snorted. “That’s your territory, isn’t it? You’re more of an Inverted Cloud than a Classic Cloud.”

She blinked innocently at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Like shit you don’t.” He smirked at her. “Think we wouldn’t notice when Dino slipped on the dance floor? It was brief but you’re definitely an Active Cloud, girly.”

She glared at him as she felt her hackles rise. The limo suddenly felt a lot smaller than what it was, and it was only then did she notice the faint feel of something other in the compartment with her. A swirl of Flames in perfect harmony was wrapping around the space and coating everything in a warm blanket.

She could feel the sunny warmth that reminded her of warm honey brush against her arm. A cool warmth that oddly reminded her of mint as it almost wrapped around her leg. The only Flames missing from the harmony was the wispy warmth of Mist and the distant touch of Cloud.

She took comfort in the fact that Fran wasn’t yet part of the group. His Mist Flames were always playful and elusive to the touch. She had become oddly fond of the Mist and sometimes when his Flames brushed against hers it felt right.

As it was, the lack of Fran helped keep her centered as they tried to use their Flames to coax out her own.

She dug her nail into her arm. The startling pain of it waking up her nerve endings. The tiny neurological shocks that triggered the brain into transmitting pain was perhaps one of the most difficult things to propagate.

Luckily, she not only had her medical training, but Skull had gifted her a journal of control exercises when she told him about her Flames. In the journal was a step by step guide on how to use the Undying Body Technique. Turns out there was more to the technique than most people probably realized.

She watched all of them flinch and grab their arms where she had dug her nail into hers. It made the Flames circling her back off. But she still glared darkly at the man seated across from her on the other side of the limo.

“I don’t appreciate being threatened, Xanxus-san.” She growled darkly.

Even as his eyes widened as he sat up, she felt for the second warmth within her. It wasn’t nearly as strong as the wild free purple Flame that kept her going through even the worst of times and pain. But it was still powerful enough to wrap her up in its soft warmth.

The world shifted. One minutes she was in the back of a limo. The next she was standing on the roof of a building staring at the horizon across Namimori.

She nearly staggered as the bracing indigo Flames that transported her to her new location slipped from her grasp. The instant feeling of having run too far for too long caught up to her suddenly. She might have enough Mist Flames to transport her, but it was never far and never more than once.

She was glad when dark indigo gloves wrapped around her. She barely even registered the woman suddenly guiding her arm over a pair of slim shoulders. The white, red, and black mask was the one all her Maboroshi wore, and within seconds she felt Mist Flames once again wrapping around her.

She stumbled just slightly as they landed in her backyard. She could make out Sayuri rushing out to them. But then her world went black as a wave of vertigo washed over her and she passed out.

She woke up like she was breaking the surface after drowning. It was sudden, and she was coughing on air. But as she looked around she noticed the familiar surroundings of her room in her home.

A few deep breaths and she was no longer hacking up a lung. She still felt a little dizzy but nothing some food couldn’t cure. It was moments like this that made her wish her Mist Flames were just a tiny bit stronger or purer.

She would never give up her Cloud Flames for the world though. Some might claim she had been shattered, that her Flames weren’t what they should be. But given how old she was and what circumstances she was facing when her Flames went Active, she would say her Flames were very much whole and powerful.

She shook those thoughts from her mind as she stumbled down the steps towards the kitchen.

“Onee-san!” Sayuri greeted worriedly as she walked across the threshold. “Are you okay? What happened? Megumi-chan had very little to report.”

Haru blinked and looked over to the wall next to the fridge. Sure enough, Megumi was standing there looking imposing despite standing a little over five feet. Then again, she figured anyone would be terrified if they saw the Maboroshi in full uniform.

The uniform itself appeared to be rather simple. An indigo turtleneck body suit with a pair of gloves, some dark gauntlets, and a pair of knee high waterproof black riding boots. It was the harness that had several pouches, the sheathes of a pair of wakizashi, and the mask that caused people to pause.

The mask itself looked like a run of the mill plain white face mask that someone took red and black paint to. The basic face was of a woman with stripes of red, black, and white in an asymmetrical but uncanny design. Also, the eye wholes were completely black as if the person wearing it had no eyes.

In truth the mask was made of several thin sheets of high resistance material. The eyeholes were really blacked out camera lenses. And the back had a video screen that displayed what the cameras were seeing, much like a virtual reality headset.

There was also a built-in microphone and speaker in the mask. That way no one could distinguish the exact voice of any of the Maboroshi. But the microphone could also be used to communicate with other operatives, as all of them also wore small hidden ear pieces.

The mask, and a cloaking device located on the harness, were controlled remotely by a built-in touch screen hidden on the gauntlets the Maboroshi wore. With tiny rechargeable batteries, her girls were high tech ninjas of the twenty first century. So, she knew what she was about to say would be broadcasted to the entire network of the Maboroshi who were probably all listening in just as worried as Sayuri.

“I’m fine.” She reassured with a smile. “Just a tiny misunderstanding with the Varia. I’m sure it will all be cleared up in a few days. They’re getting close to our Yakuza operations.”

“Understood.” Megumi said her mask set to the default mechanical scramble. “What are your orders, Chiyome-sama?”

“Double up protection details.” Haru said as she thought about it. “And start interfering with their spies, just be discrete. We don’t need them knowing about the Maboroshi just yet.”

Megumi bowed before disappearing in a swirl of Mist Flames.

“Is that wise?” Sayuri said with a frown wringing her hands.

“Sayuri-chan.” Haru sighed. “At the moment, the Vongola are technically our enemy. I don’t like it anymore than you do. But Tsuna-san has set his sights on our operations without first consulting with all his guardians. Hibari-san ordered me to remain independent.”

“I see.” Sayuri said looking down. “Well, just a minute.”

She left and came back with a box.

“Belphegor-san dropped this off earlier. He seemed really upset about something but when I offered that he come in he declined. He said it was probably not best he be here if you knew.”

Haru blinked as she eyed the box carefully. It didn’t seem like a trap, but she was careful as she opened it. She already had to deal with a few mail bombs in the past, they were never pretty.

Instead of foul play, resting in the box was a crown, a pouch of medical equipment, and some cookies. There was also a note. She frowned as she picked up the note to read it.

“ _I’m sorry, Kitsune._  
 _-Belphegor_ ”

She blinked in surprise. She wasn’t sure why her chest clenched suddenly. But she carefully set the note down.

She refused to touch the cookies, but she carefully picked up the crown and turned it in her hands. It was one of the replicas, probably the one he was wearing in the limo. She blinked as something clear splashed down on the crown in her hand.

Her hand flew to her cheek and she noticed it was wet.

“Onee-san?”

“I’m fine.” She managed to choke through her tight throat. “It’s just been a long day.”

“Of course.” There was a pause. “Do you want me to get rid of the cookies?”

“Probably for the best.” Haru said with a sigh. “I’m going to snack on something and go back to bed.”

“I’ll see about putting away the crown.” Sayuri said with a bow before moving to toss out the cookies.

Haru couldn’t wait for this whole mess to be behind her. She didn’t care what was on the other side. But she was ready for things to be a bit easier than they had been the past week.

She set down the crown and refused to look at it as she found something to eat. She was getting a headache just thinking about the mess she was now in with the Varia. She didn’t want to know why Belphegor seemed intent on apologizing personally.


	23. Haru the Boss

The twenty-third time she stole his crown, it was a calculated move on her part.

Sometimes she felt like she lived in an anime. She could categorize her strange life in a series of arcs. Everything from meeting Tsuna to her trials of becoming a Yakuza Boss.

She wondered if she was the only one who saw their life like that.

But, as it stood she was entering a new arc of her life. One where she supposed she was the villain to Tsuna’s hero. Or was she the hero and Tsuna the villain, she didn’t know.

All she knew was four weeks after the limo incident she was facing the initial showdown with the Vongola. She had avoided Tsuna and the others because she didn’t want to open herself up for another confrontation with Xanxus, not that she hadn’t gotten a few presents since then. It was too early to show her hand and she really wanted to keep the element of surprise she had over the Vongola Don.

Luckily, she had Fran and Chrome in her corner. That was a rather weird confrontation on itself. For starters she was once again abducted, only this time by a swirl of Mist Flames.

She landed in the main meeting room of the main base in Kokuyo Land. The building had been one of the old administrative buildings that she refurbished for Mukuro and his gang. It worked well as a good base of operations while another building was converted into a dorm building for the gang itself.

Over the years the Kokuyo Gang grew in number. Mukuro lorded over them of course. But the core group of, Ken, Chikusa, M.M., Fran, and Chrome remained the same.

It was this core group that sat before her around the meeting table with Mukuro at the head. Verde stood off to the side with his arms crossed as he frowned. She was surprised because the scientist wasn’t too fond of the Vongola Mist even if he shared a base with the younger man.

“Kufufu,” Mukuro said with a grin, “I’ve been meaning to speak with you, Miura. But you are one very busy girl.”

“That usually happens when you’re a working professional.” She said curtly even as she moved to take the open seat across from him. “What can I do for you, Mukuro-kun?”

“Now, no need to be condescending.” He said leaning back. “I already know you’ve cunningly put me at a disadvantage. There’s no need to rub it in, Miura.”

“Disadvantage?” She asked fighting down her smirk.

“I had always wondered why you never asked the Kokuyo for rent.” Mukuro said rubbing his chin. “I had thought it was because you were a good friend to Chrome-chan. But now I suspect you had other motives as well. Take for example the news I heard from Tsuna-kun recently.”

“News?” She prompted getting a vicious grin.

“He doesn’t know you’re the Boss of Namimori-kai, does he? He wouldn’t be so stupid to go against you if he was. Fran told me all about how easily you’ve taken over the underworld in Namimori. Not even I could so swiftly and quietly gain control of an entire town.” Mukuro said leaning forward. “But given everything I now know, you’ve certainly put me in a tight position.”

“I still don’t see what you’re going on about now.” She said rolling her eyes.

“I’m talking about the three years of allowing the Kokuyo Gang free living quarters in your park.” He said with a frown. “If I knew you would be able to hold something like that over me, I would have made Chrome-chan try harder to get you to accept our offer of rent. I don’t like owing people, most certainly when it means they practically own me.”

“Calculated the cost of living here, did you?” She couldn’t help her raised eyebrow or her smirk.

“What they say about you on the streets is true. You really are a fox.” He snorted. “But one I don’t mind working with.”

“Negotiating? Do you even have something worth offering?” She asked noticing the way Verde smirked.

“Neutrality for one.” Mukuro offered right away. “Tsuna-kun’s little upcoming spat with you will be a lot harder without my backing. I might not know all your secrets and Fran is more loyal to you than he is to me. But I could still cause you trouble if I stepped in to help.”

“So, you are willing to pull your support from Tsuna-san?” She asked getting a nod. “What else? I already have Hibari-san and Yamamoto-san remaining neutral. You’re hardly a footnote.”

The sour face he pulled was bemusing.

“The Kokuyo are willing to work off our debt to you.” Chikusa put in. “Any job we are qualified for, consider it done. Once we’ve worked off our debt we _will_ be paying rent from now on.”

“And how do I know you won’t go asking the Vongola for assistance in paying of your debt?” She asked almost challengingly.

“Like I would go crawling to _them_ for assistance.” Mukuro hissed with narrowed eyes.

She smirked as she hummed. “Very well. I will need at least one representative of Kokuyo for the upcoming meetings with the Vongola. Perhaps you should be the one to tell your boss that you have to withdraw due to…exonerating circumstances.”

“While I might be his Mist Guardian, Tsuna-kun isn’t my boss.” Mukuro said with narrowed eyes.

“Clearly,” she agreed smoothly, “or he would have discussed his business with you more.”

Mukuro smirked, “Exactly. I’ll attend the initial meeting. But I suppose Fran and Chrome-chan will be more than enough to be the Kokuyo representatives. Is it true you snatched the Triads out from under Tsuna-kun before he could convince them to join him in an alliance?”

“Let’s just say I’ve come across some interesting files concerning the CEDEF.” She said with a smile. “Perhaps if you would like to add a bit more to your debt you should look at them for yourself.”

“If they’re worth it.” He said with a frown.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m sure Mammon-chan will be offering up a fortune for them when I bring them to light.” She said noting how his eyes widened and he leaned forward. Even Verde raised an eyebrow as he stood a bit straighter.

“Just what information did you dig up?” Mukuro purred.

“How interested do you think the Vindice would be if they found out the CEDEF are a few months away from exposing Flames to civilians?” She asked with a wicked smirk.

She snagged both Mukuro and Verde by the time the meeting ended. While Verde wasn’t big into working with the rest of the Arcobaleno, he happily jumped on her bandwagon. Though she did get a good laugh at the shocked look Fon had when Verde attended the next meeting of the Namimori-kai as their new science representative.

It earned her another comment of how dangerous she was.

In the weeks leading up to her meeting with the Vongola and their assorted allies she had a front row seat to their planning. Chrome also helpfully provided her with information from the meetings with just Tsuna and his guardians. She was unsurprised that Hibari refused to attend any of those meetings and was relying on Yamamoto to supply him with information.

As for the meeting itself, she chose to go with neutral territory.

She got in contact with the Watanabe-gumi from a town over. They were old allies of the Miyazaki-kai and didn’t mind her using a hotel in their territory to hold the meeting. They were actually rather grateful to her for keeping the Miyazaki-kai intact, even if the yakuza group had been assimilated into the Namimori-kai with little effort.

She apparently gained a rather ruthless reputation through the four other takeovers.

With the meeting area set, she planned how she wanted to stage the meeting. If her shishou taught her anything, it was that the presentation was just as important as the execution. So that meant planning where to place everyone and just how she would make her grand entrance.

She forewent putting herself at the head of the table. Instead having the table situated so it ran parallel to the floor to ceiling windows taking up one of the walls. One side would be for her and her assorted allies while the other would be for Tsuna.

She refused to allow the Maboroshi attend visibly. The cloaking devices her girls wore worked in her favor this time. They worked by converting any Flame into Mist Flames that would hide the presence of each operative.

That meant however that she would have one empty seat. She didn’t mind and made a point of putting it right next to where she would be sitting. It would make it harder to lay down a trap if there were different options of where she would be sitting.

Hiroyuki would be seated on her right. He was more like her right-hand man than anyone in her organization after all. That left the seat to her left empty, a fitting analogy in her opinion.

She wasn’t quite sure how to arrange the others, but so long as they knew those two seats they should be able to sort themselves accordingly.

The only other issue was deciding if she wanted to sit with her back to the windows or not. On one hand sitting in front of the windows could either be a sign of ignorance or arrogance. On another hand not sitting in front of the windows indicated a lack of trust.

Maybe she spent far to long in the organization, but she knew the dangers of snipers a little too well.

She decided to sit in front of the windows, but set up several patrols of the Maboroshi to sniff out any snipers lying in wait.

Her next big decision was whether she wanted to enter before or after Tsuna showed up. It was hard to decide what was more of a shock factor. But in the end decided she could go with a high back swivel chair to hide her from view.

She gave a brief consideration to refreshments as well. She knew she would keep a few bottles of sake, but she doubted they would be opened. Tsuna was looking to use the Vongola’s influence to force her into doing things his way, there would be no sharing a drink between new allies in this meeting.

Instead she settled on a few pitchers of water and several glasses set out in the seats that would be occupied. While she doubted anyone would actually drink the water, she knew a good prop when she saw one. Besides, if they _did_ drink some water it meant they either trusted her or didn’t see her as a threat.

The final piece to this whole picture was herself.

She spent a few hours picking through her closet to settle on just the look she wanted. She knew she could go with a yukata or one of the dresses she usually used. But she wasn’t just the boss of Namimori-kai in this instance.

She settled on a white silk blouse with ruffles falling down the front and sheer sleeves that made it rather easy for someone to notice the tattoos she had without giving them details. Paired with the blouse was a high waisted black pencil skirt that hugged her figure and stopped at her knees. A pair of dark nylons with a seam up the back, her sinfully red professional pumps, and a sinfully red belt helped tie the outfit together.

She painted her lips crimson, added a bit of dark eyeliner, and a faint hint of silver eye shadow. It wasn’t as dramatic as the makeup she used for the ball, but it still had an effect. Paired with another pair of silver dangling earrings and some silver cufflinks she looked like a fashionable business woman.

For fun she painted her nails crimson as well.

With the pieces in place, she took her seat and waited with her back to the door. The hidden earpiece she wore let her listen to the patrols of the Maboroshi. Turns out Megumi-chan had plans of her own and a layer of Mist Flames coated the windows to prevent anyone from peering through them properly.

She smiled as she caught her allies getting into position on their side of the table. Hiroyuki sat proudly at her side with Verde, Sakamoto, and her top three other lieutenants taking up the rest of the seats. Past the empty chair on her other side Fon, Beijing, Hibari, Yamamoto, and Mukuro took their seats.

She was slightly wary about the volatile combination that sat to her left. But Beijing and Yamamoto would be able to keep the peace. Not to mention Mukuro was looking far more excited about her grand reveal than he was about bugging Hibari so that was always a plus.

She smirked as she heard the door open for her guests and there was an almost aborted yelp.

“Fucking Hibari, what are you doing here?” She heard Gokudera growl.

“The Namimori-kai are a valuable ally of the Disciplinary Committee.” Hibari answered smoothly. “I find it displeasing that they should be threatened by a bunch of Herbivores.”

“Yamamoto?” She heard Tsuna almost whisper.

“Hello Sawada-san.” Yamamoto said pleasantly. “I’m sorry but Namimori-kai is also a valuable ally of mine. I’m sure you understand.”

“Verde, Fon.” She heard Reborn almost growl. “I understand Fon, but what are you doing here Verde? And Mukuro too?”

“I may have acquired quite the debt to Namimori-kai these past few years.” Mukuro said using his opposition at the end of the table to lean back and prop his dark riding boots up on the table surface. “Not that I mind horribly. They’ve been rather informative. Unlike some people.”

“Their science division is also top of the line.” Verde put in sounding smug. “Some of their projects are a boon to my own research. It’s nothing personal, Reborn.”

“Like hell.” Reborn growled softly making her smirk grow a tad. She wondered if he was twitching yet.

“Fucking bastard! Who do you think you are?!” Gokudera snapped and she could see the faint reflection of him in the window shaking his fist at her chair.  
She figured that was her cue.

“Really, Gokudera-san.” She drawled as she turned her chair. She caught his eye before she fully faced her guests and leaned back with a sly smile. “How many times have I told you to watch your language in the presence of a lady? I know you have more manners than that.”

The effect was instant.

Tsuna’s eyes got wide as saucers before he paled whiter than a ghost. Gokudera looked like he swallowed his tongue as he literally jumped a pace back. Ryohei looked at her in confusion, stuck somewhere between being happy to see her and looking like she just shot his puppy.

Reborn’s reaction was the most candid she ever saw, his eyes widened and his jaw nearly hit his collarbone with how far it dropped. Xanxus, who had been looking smug, widened his eyes before frowning at her with a calculating look. While Iemitsu, who stood on the other side of Tsuna and his guardians, stood straighter and looked ready to snarl a lecture to her about something or other.

The assorted dons that allied themselves with Tsuna had similar reactions. Dino looked surprised but intrigued. Enma looked like he’d rather run home and hide under his bed. While Byakuran and Yuni both smiled pleasantly at her, likely already knowing who she was.

“Well,” She said raising an eyebrow and motioning to the chairs across from her, “why don’t you have a seat, gentlemen, Yuni-dono?”

“Why thank you, Chiyo-dono.” Yuni said snagging the seat across from Verde. “May I call you Chiyo-dono? You have so many interesting names.”

“That’s fine, Yuni-dono.” She said with an almost indulgent smile. “Most of the Yakuza know me by that name anyway.”

“I must say, it’s interesting how you managed to snag so many of Tsuna-kun’s allies without him noticing, Chiyo-dono.” Byakuran said as he took the seat next to Yuni, so he was right across from Sakamoto. He nodded politely to the seemingly frail old man across from him and Sakamoto returned the gesture with a pleasant smile.

Xanxus said nothing as he stalked to the chair across from the empty one she had at her side. His action leaving Iemitsu to scramble to the chair across from Hiroyuki as he continued to send Haru a rather nasty look. Reborn swept up to the seat across from Fon and glared at the Storm as he took his seat.

Enma slunk over to the chair next to Reborn so he was eyeing Beijing cautiously. Dino looked bemused as he took the seat across from Hibari placing him next to Enma. The last of the Dons, Longchamp if she remembered his name, practically bounced over to the seat next to Byakuran placing him across from her top lieutenant.

She knew Ryohei and Gokudera were supposed to stand behind Tsuna as guards. But that went out the window with the three of Tsuna’s guardians seated on her side of the table. Ryohei snagged the chair across from Yamamoto, while Gokudera flopped down to glare at Mukuro across the table.

The last two seats were also quickly filled. Mammon appeared in swirl of Mist Flames to claim the chair at the far end across from her third lieutenant. Meanwhile Lal Mirch moved from her guarding position of Iemitsu to sit between Mammon and Longchamp.

With everyone seated, Tsuna cautiously sat down in the chair across from her with a tense air about him. He was still rather pale, and he was already picking at the hem of his suit jacket. He looked like a nervous rabbit staring down a grinning predator.

“So,” She purred in a drawl as she rested her chin on her fist, “do you want to give that pitch I helped you work on? Or would you rather I give you my answer now?”

She could practically taste the dark amusement rolling off the men on her side of the table.

“NOW LISTEN HERE!” Iemitsu exploded practically standing as he slammed his hands on the table and pointed at her. “You may have played us for a fool! But that doesn’t mean we are complete idiots!”

Her eyes cut to the older Sawada sharply. She felt her lips curling into a sly but pleased smile. He had no idea and she was loving it.

“Oh?” She purred. “I beg to differ, Sawada-san. You’ve done enough in the past to show the lack of your intellect. I assure you have the evidence to back up that claim as well.”

“It’s quite the evidence.” Verde said with a rather nasty grin.

“Yes,” Mukuro purred darkly, “a true killing blow to the Vongola. I still wish you would let me have full access to your files. The Vindice would pay a fortune for what you’ve obtained, Chiyo-sama. As much as I detest Bermuda, he wouldn’t deny me Tsu-kun’s body after the Vindice is through with him.”

“Bold claims for someone who is lacking an ally.” Xanxus put in glaring at the empty seat.

She hummed. “Maboroshi-chan is a bit busy today. But enforcers are always better in the field than behind a desk. Wouldn’t you agree, Xanxus-san?”

“I thought Hibari called you Maboroshi.” Mammon put in from down the way.

“I do.” Hibari answered easily. “But that doesn’t mean there’s just one Maboroshi. A good commander will mingle with their subordinates after all.”

“Than which is Chiyo-sama?” Mammon asked. “Commander or subordinate?”

“I would think that would be obvious.” Hibari said with a snort.

“Chiyo-dono,” Dino began catching her attention, “just what information do you have against the Vongola?”

“Oh, a bit of this and that.” She said with a shrug as she leaned back in her chair. “Turns out the older an organization the more skeletons they keep in their closet. A bit of poor handling with certain things and a few leaks can lead to problems if they aren’t taken care of early after all.”

“When did you even have the time to go digging?” Xanxus asked a bit gruffly. “Namimori-kai is only a year old, if that.”

She shrugged again. “Just because I was encouraged to take over the criminal underworld of Namimori for _certain_ gains. Doesn’t mean I needed a yakuza organization to do a bit of digging.”

“Sayuri.” Mammon breathed. “She’s been helping you for two or three years now.”

Haru had to smirk at that. “She’s always been a wonderful assistant.”

Byakuran hummed, “I think I’d like a peek at the information you have, Chiyo-dono. If it’s enough to sway a Guardian from their Sky as well as an Arcobaleno than it has to be something important.”

“Well,” She tapped her chin, “I don’t really want to part with it.”

“The Giglio Nero Famiglia will cut ties with the Vongola and pay a substantial amount of wealth for access to your files.” Yuni slid in making several turn to her with wide eyes. “If what you have in your possession is true, then to protect my Famiglia I must side with you, Chiyo-dono.”

“Now wait a minute!” Iemitsu exploded turning to the other female boss.

“The Gesso Famiglia will be willing to do the same.” Byakuran said suddenly with a smile. “If Yuni-dono believes the information you have is that valuable. I too must protect my Famiglia. The Gesso are still in hot water with the Vindice after all.”

“Very well,” Haru said pleasantly, “I’ll see that we work something out.”

“You’ve been rather quiet, Sawada-sama.” Hiroyuki spoke up suddenly. “I didn’t think you were the type to let your _father_ do all the talking.”

Haru noticed Tsuna’s flinch while Iemitsu sent Hiroyuki a nasty look. Her right-hand man just smiled pleasantly, using his unassuming features hide his cunningness. With his dark hair and brown eyes, he looked like a young but respectable businessman in his suit.

He certainly pulled off professional better than Iemitsu.

“It’s just,” Tsuna began twisting the hem of his jacket sleeve, “you’ve caught me at a disadvantage. How’d you pull all of this off?”

He gave her the kick puppy look causing her to smile almost wickedly.

“By exercising my communication skills.” She said simply. “Something I find is very lacking in the Vongola.”

She made a point of giving Xanxus a brief glance. He didn’t flinch, but it was a near thing. She hated a part of herself approved.

“Not to mention you’re slyer than a fox.” Reborn said almost sourly. “I knew I should have kept a better eye on those fabled ninja-skills everyone claims you have.”

She smirked finding the perfect opportunity. Almost the moment Tsuna and his allies entered the room, she felt something slide into her lap. She was pleased that the Maboroshi were such loyal little shits.

“Well,” she rose her hand to twirl a certain crown around her finger, “people really do like to brag about me I suppose.”

Reborn’s eyes widened before narrowing again. She knew Verde was grinning as a muscle under the hitman’s right eye visibly twitched. Instead of going for a gun however, the Sun Arcobaleno lowered the rim of his fedora and forced the frown from his mouth with a small scuff.

Bemused, she turned her sights back on Tsuna. “In case you haven’t already inferred. As of right now Namimori-kai will have to decline all your offers. We will also respond rather violently to any show of force on your part, Sawada-san. You’re trying to set up a security risk in our backyard after all.”

The meeting devolved after that. Iemitsu was loudly making demands she didn’t care to hear while Yuni and Byakuran bowed out. The other dons looked like they wanted to bow out as well but hadn’t decided if it was worth siding against the Vongola just yet.

In the end Iemitsu was ejected for being a belligerent asshole. Tsuna did try to put in some effort to convince her to reconsider. But she just sat back focusing on the crown she was twirling around her finger.

She wondered if he realized she had it as he stood guard outside.

At the very least she knew the sharp look both Mammon and Xanxus were sending her wasn’t as dangerous as it looked. She wouldn’t be surprised if she had the Varia poking around to try and find the information she had. She wonders how long it would take before Mammon cracked and came crawling to her with his coin purse in hand.


	24. Ninja Fox

The twenty-fourth time she stole his crown, she was a Maboroshi. More specifically she was Chiyome-sama, identifiable only by the faint silver pin-stripes under the red stripes that outlined the eyeholes of her mask. The silver was hard to see normally but appeared like a beacon in the camera screens her girls wore.

She had heard the saying letting a fox into the henhouse before. And she figured that was the best way to describe the chaos she wrought among the Vongola. Not even a day after her initial meeting, and she was already getting in reports from her agents.

“You really ought to listen to this one.” Sayuri said with a giggle before pressing a button on the phone she was holding.

“ _VOI!! What do you mean her name isn’t Sayuri?!_ ” Squalo’s voice exploded from the recording.

There was an exasperated sigh. “ _Mou, exactly what it sounds like, you fucking shit. There is no Sayuri attending the that High School. There isn’t even a Sayuri matching her description attending any High School anywhere within five fucking hundred miles of Namimori. I’ve been running checks but so far there is no one, and I mean fucking no one, that matches her picture or description that I can find._ ”

“ _Well shitty Mist, I suggest you try harder. How are we supposed to even begin cracking her organization if we can’t get any useful fucking information on her shitty assistant? Fucking hell! Why weren’t we bothering with this the moment she and the fucking shitty prince started to get all buddy-buddy?!_ ”

The recording stopped, and she raised an eyebrow.

“Did we just make Mammon-chan swear?” She asked getting a giggle and nod from Sayuri.

“How long do you think it’ll be before they realize you destroyed all the original records on me?” Sayuri asked with a pleased grin.

“I don’t know.” She said with a thoughtful tap of her chin. “We’ll give them two weeks.”

There were even more reports like that. Reborn had actually spent a full hour cursing after the meeting alone. That also didn’t even cover the amount of foul language Iemitsu was still spewing several days after the fact.

Needless to say, the Vongola were a mess.

Yamamoto and Hibari both refused to speak with Tsuna. Not to mention Mukuro practically locked down Kokuyo Land with the help of Verde. Fon and Beijing were unmolested so far, but the last she checked they were still clutching their sides as they giggled over the still photos of the Vongola taken from the meeting.

She was sure Fon wanted to get a poster sized print of the shocked look Reborn wore when he first spotted her.

On a plus note she already met with both Yuni and Byakuran about the information she had. Since she didn’t want them to burn too many bridges she settled for a few long negotiations, something both seemed grateful for. So, the verdict of whether they would fully cut ties with the Vongola was still up in the air, but she did wet their appetite with a small peek at one of her files to sweeten the deals.

It was in this chaos that she was making the most moves however. The Maboroshi were working double time and that didn’t even include the obvious moves she was making using the Namimori-kai. Now Tsuna would be lucky to get his normal paperwork done at his house without some distress caused by her people.

The key problem to the whole thing was how the Vongola tended to operate. They were used to being on the top. When they told someone to jump, ninety-nine percent of the time they jumped…or were shot.

The Vongola Modus Operandi however didn’t translate well into the type of warfare she was waging.

Tsuna couldn’t barge into her operations with his fists flaying. The CEDEF were already trying to ruff up some of her foot soldiers to get information. And the only ones with a bit of a clue, the Varia, were running themselves in circles to find a weak spot in her network.

As it stood, she had very little hope for her friend to recover from this. And that was the kicker to the whole thing. She _wanted_ Tsuna to overcome this obstacle.

Hell, Yamamoto, Hibari, _and_ Mukuro wanted their Sky to overcome this obstacle.

It was a good learning experience because Haru had no intention of turning this into a full-blown war. She could in fact do so with little effort and she _would win_. She had agents in place all over the city and had people stalking Tsuna’s loved ones unchecked.

All it would take would be one word and the Tsuna wouldn’t notice the bloodbath until it was too late.

So instead of going the easy road of annihilation. And once everything worked itself out she would be talking to him about this, he should have learned his lesson with Byakuran. She decided to cause the most chaos imaginable for the ones causing the most stink for her people.

“Are you sure this will work?” Hiroyuki asked with a frown.

“You’re doubting me? Now?” She asked tilting her head. She was in full gear and was set to take off for the day. But she had some orders to lay down beforehand.

“Hardly.” He said with a smile. “I’m just dubious over the fact that he let it get this bad. I know you said he was a shit father but even Sawada had to have some sense over the years.”

“Sometimes,” She sighed patting his shoulder, “you’re far too good of a man to be in the yakuza. But I love that about you, so don’t go changing on me.”

“Of course, Chiyo-sama.” He said with a smile and bow. “But why the out of town lawyers?”

“We don’t want them tracing this little slip up back to us. So, a small little tip off is more than enough to get them to the front door. Did you remember to tell them the most likely time they can catch Nana at home?” She asked hopefully.

“Of course.” He said with a grin. “But going after his marriage? Really?”

She shrugged. “I like Nana. She’s good people, for how oblivious she is. Besides, a little domestic strife in the house where Tsuna-san is trying to regroup is always a plus.”

“You’re evil.” Hiroyuki said with a grin. “Be glad I find that an admirable trait.”

“You wouldn’t be my right hand if that wasn’t the case.” She said with a grin. “Now if you don’t mind. I’m off to stalk assassins. Don’t forget our other project.”

“Of course not. It will be completed on schedule as promised. Just remember you have to be ready for the next meeting with Yuni-sama and Byakuran-sama in two days.” Hiroyuki said making her almost squeal in anticipation.

She perhaps had spent a bit too much time under Reborn’s influence.

With that she took off into the wilds of Namimori. She could hear the patrols and reports buzzing through her earpiece and was almost giddy at all the information being tossed about. After all, there were no better gossips than women and her women loved sharing.

Though she still refused to make the Maboroshi motto “Sharing is Caring”. Discretion was always the better part of valor and all that. Besides, it’s hardly caring if they charged extra for blackmail.

But the reason she was running around as part of the Maboroshi was the Varia. Mammon was good, he was one of the best, had been since before she was born. It meant she had to double check things on that side of the equation more than she would like.

The agents she put in place to monitor the Varia in Namimori were some of her best as well. They saturated the hotel Xanxus turned into his temporary base. Cleaning ladies, cooks, even the concierge, were all on her payroll and supplying information to her directly.

They had tapped the phones and placed listening devices all over the suite. Not even Mammon could ferret out all her tricks, though he did find a scarce few. Mostly the dummy devices she purposely had in place to throw the Varia off, old tech that worked as well as a tin can on some string.

As far as she could tell, the Varia were confident they were on to her tricks.

But that just meant she had to be extra cautious. She knew the failings of pride and knew that even she was fallible. If she didn’t triple check everything she would probably worry herself silly with thinking she opened herself up for an unseen attack.

She waited until she knew the coast was relatively clear to slip into the Varia suite.

She nearly walked right into Reggie who was standing guard in the room. But she easily slid around him and pinched a nerve instantly knocking him out as she went. She shook her head and decided that she really ought to steal the Varia minions again for another lesson.

It would have to be a much latter project though.

Instead she ghosted through the rooms. She made sure to make a mess as she went too. Haphazardly ransacking through their belongings, though being careful not to damage anything, and otherwise making a menace of herself.

She just about cackled as she found a trunk in Belphegor’s room. It took a long minute of carefully examining the lock before she had it opened with her set of trusty lock-picks. Inside was no less than ten replica crowns and one she recognized because it was the first one she ever stole from him.

Well, accidentally stole, she still stood by the fact she only ever legitimately stole one crown.

If anyone saw her grin at that moment, they would probably swear she stole that from Belphegor as well. Her cheeks _hurt_ with how wide they stretched across her face. Maybe she should really worry about her sanity as she started pulling the crowns out of the trunk with unholy glee.

The crowns were strategically placed throughout the suite. Though she left the true crown resting securely in the trunk. The replicas were her playthings after all, and really, she wouldn’t touch Belphegor’s real crown if she could help it.

By the time she left the mess she made she not only dressed Reggie up in the most outrageous of Lussuria’s dresses, he was tied quite nicely to Levi’s bed with one of Belphegor’s crowns resting on his head. She hoped one of her favorite Varia minions forgave her, but was too bemused to care more than that. She also carefully laid out several traps that would trigger pranks and carefully coated the throne Xanxus used as a chair in her Cloud Flames while she took a few selfies of her posing on it.

But the real reason she was there was to get pictures of the information they had. That meant carefully breaking into Mammon’s room and digging through files before using her camera to photograph everything. It wasn’t a fun process but necessary as she carefully put every file back in the little hidey-holes she found them in, as if she had never touched them in her fun.

She exited via balcony while her agents reported the Varia were just beyond the door.

“FUCKING HELL!!!”

She snickered to herself as she climbed over a roof. Never had she been so grateful that Squalo could project his shock and displeasure for the whole world to hear. She wondered how many times she would be replaying the video from the hidden cameras set up in the suit.

She figured she would need to invest in some good popcorn when she got home.

She was perhaps a bit too preoccupied with that thought so she didn’t notice the danger until it was too late. Namely she found herself being tackled to the ground on the roof she was currently on. She hissed and lashed out at her captor with a kick.

“Fucker.” She heard a very familiar voice curse.

She rolled around and locked her legs around his neck as she grabbed his arm. The grappling moved letting her pluck the knives out of his hand as he struggled to get free. Somewhere as they tumbled she notice her cloaking device shut off.

She rolled away from him and ended up in a crouch. He stood up shakily as his hand pressed to the cut lip he had. Blood trickling down his chin and a mad grin that was very different to the ones he normally gave her.

“Ushishi, so you’re Kitsune’s Maboroshi.” He said raising his hand to show another splay of knives resting in his fingers. “You’re good. If I hadn’t had Mammy as a partner for so long I wouldn’t have noticed the Mist Flames.”

She froze. Then after a breath smirked as she smoothly stood from her crouch. She placed a hand on her hip.

She knew he wouldn’t be able to see her eyes. So, she carefully let her head rise then fall, slowly taking in his stance. Even as she rose her head once more to a level position and tilted her head, she knew this would be fun.

He didn’t respond the same way as he would if he knew it was her. He did grin a bit more but the changing of his poster and licking of his lips was missing. It didn’t matter, really, but she felt just a touch of disappointment.

“You are in my way, Belphegor-sama.” She said almost laughing at the mechanical sound of her scrambled voice.

“Now, now, we just want to have a little chat with you.” He said his grin stretched as far is it could go across his lips. “The Boss was a bit disappointed you didn’t attend the meeting between Kitsune and the Vongola. It’s difficult hunting ghosts after all.”

“I am not here for your convenience Belphegor-sama. I have work to do.” She said shifting her weight.

“By messing up our rooms? Or were you looking for something specific? You were, weren’t you? That wasn’t very nice, Maboroshi-chan.” He said and as he spoke she moved, leaving an illusion of her standing form behind.

He barely had time to put up a guard as her leg made for the side of his head. She hadn’t expected the hit to land but with a boost of Cloud Flames to her hit, he grunted as he was sent sliding across the rough ground of the roof. She decided she had to pull back a bit of her strength when he was sent nearly topping over the edge of the roof from that hit alone.

He was quick to recover though. She caught the knives sent flying her way and tugged hard on the wires they were attached to. It forced him off balance slightly and she was suddenly in his face with a knee to his mouth.

His hand shot up just in time to slow her knee and push her off to the side. She landed low to avoid the counter kick he sent her way. Instead she twisted and was ramming her elbow right into his stomach.

The wind left him in a huff as he folded over her. She snagged his arm and forced her shoulder further into his diaphragm. He landed on his back in a bone rattling thud from where she tossed him over her shoulder.

Before he could recover she twirled and dropped to her knees, so she was straddling his waist. She snagged the collar of his shirt as she pushed her mask up, making it seemingly disappear into thin air. She smirked as some of his hair was pushed aside to reveal one wide hazel blue eye.

“Hello little prince.” She purred watching the pupil of his eye widen as his still unsteady breath seemed to catch in his chest. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“K-Kitsune?” He stuttered as he looked up at her.

Perhaps it was a bit wicked of her. But in that moment, she let her Cloud Flames seep into his skin. Elevating his level of endorphins as she slammed her lips to his.

He barely even jerked before he moaned.

She could feel his Storm Flames, hot and wild, pushing back against her Flames lightly. Like he wasn’t sure if he should be forcing her off him or just relaxing back to let her do as she pleased. He was almost shuddering by the time she pulled back, taking a second to lick some of the blood from his lips.

“I don’t need you ruining my fun just yet, little prince.” She said almost soothingly as she ran her fingers through his hair. She snagged his crown and fixed his fringe as she smirked. “So how about we forget this little encounter happened?”

He made a sound like he wanted to say something, to protest. But she pulled forward her Mist Flames again. Knowing the makeup of the mind helped in crafting illusions in a way most Mists never achieved.

Between her illusion of blurring the encounter and her Cloud Flames heightening his hormone levels. She knew he would be having trouble giving an accurate report of just what he had learned on the roof. It also helped him remain rather dazed as she let him go and pushed down her mask again.

She disappeared only a half a minute before Squalo and Lussuria caught up to their Storm.

“The fuck happened to you, shitty prince?! You look thoroughly molested!”

She forced down her giggle as she quietly slipped away. She almost wanted to stick around to hear his response. But she had cut it a bit too close this time and would need to be careful in the future.

She couldn’t wait for her next meeting with the Vongola at the end of the week.


	25. Meetings and Offers

The twenty-fifth time she stole his crown, it was after her second meeting with the Vongola. She would like to state she was being rather generous giving them a second meeting. But with the way Iemitsu carried on, loudly steamrolling over everyone, she was seriously considering canceling the third.

She had never really given Tsuna’s father much consideration. The man remained mostly out of country and the few times she did see him, he was a raging drunk who demanded more attention than a spoiled two-year-old. Even Nana seemed exasperated by him but was just too glad to have her husband home to really put up much fuss.

If the woman wasn’t so naïve and blind, Haru would claim Nana was a saint. There were days she worried that was what her best friend and heart sister would turn into. It was probably for that reason she gently encouraged strife between Kyoko and Tsuna to get them to properly communicate with each other.

Speaking of communicating, Xanxus was stepping up his game and not in the way she expected. He actually called her and politely asked for a meeting. He used the words please and thank you without once sounding sour about it.

The worst part was she had a feeling it had nothing to do with the fact Yuni and Byakuran sat on her side of the table in the meeting. Her second and third lieutenants didn’t attend, allowing the two Dons the free seats with Byakuran seated next to Sakamoto. Yuni took the seat between Byakuran and her top lieutenant that now sat at the end of the table.

It made a slight scramble on the Vongola side as well. Mammon took the seat across from Verde while Longchamp sat across from Sakamoto. Lal remained in her seat which was now across form Yuni while Squalo took the seat across from Byakuran.

The last seat on the Vongola side would have remained empty but Iemitsu quickly called in Basil to fill it. She was surprised to see the CEDEF Rain there, but just greeted him with a smile. The two weren’t close but they weren’t enemies even as he took position in the seat opposite her and her allies.

The meeting didn’t start off on a good note and certainly ended on a bad one. Iemitsu had wasted no time in accusing her of sending lawyers to his house to harass his wife. But when she asked him for proof she did such a thing he had none.

“Oh honestly,” she had rolled her eyes, “do you think I really care about your marriage, Sawada-san? Don’t get me wrong, Nana is a wonderful woman. I’m surprised you don’t spend enough time with her to realize that. Also, why were lawyers sent to your house? I know my minions reported some people in suits showed up, but we just assumed they were more of your people.”

“You have minions watching my house?!” He snapped back at her.

“Of course.” She drawled. “Why wouldn’t I have minions watching your house? If one of my enemies heard I was dealing with the Vongola who were acting like a bunch of spoiled brats, it could end horribly for me if they pulled something and you accused me of it. Come to think of it, perhaps they are the ones that sent lawyers for whatever reason.”

“We haven’t confirmed anything yet, Chiyo-sama.” Hiroyuki put in almost softly. “But it appears Sawada-san has had several illegitimate children in other countries. The lawyers are there to confirm the claims and see to it proper compensation go to the mothers. From our records it appears this is part of the Bassano del Grappa investigation, headed by Benedetti-san.”

“Bassano del Grappa investigation?” Dino asked sitting up. “What are you speaking about?”

“According to what Chiyo-dono has been digging up.” Byakuran said with a grin. “Benedetti is either a code name or a designation for an agent of the _Direzione Investigativa Antimafia_ that has picked up an investigation stemming in Bassano del Grappa that has led him to the CEDEF.”

“I know of the DIA.” Dino said rolling his eyes. “They’re a pain. How did the CEDEF slip up enough to catch their attention?”

She noted Tsuna, Reborn, Lal, Enma, Xanxus, and Longchamp all turn to her sharply in attention.

“It seems a CEDEF agent happened to mess up when disappearing someone.” She said with a roll of her eyes. “I have a copy of the report he handed in. The moment I saw it I knew it wasn’t a full report. Some of the key points the CEDEF insist their agents put into reports were missing. More specifically the report on how the cleanup went was sparse and confusing. I’m surprise they didn’t ask him to rewrite it to be more coherent. Lambo can tell better lies than the drivel in that report.”

“And who was this agent?” Lal snapped sitting up.

Haru wanted to grin instead she kept her face perfectly blank. “His code name at the time was Leo. Apparently, he was part of the constellation batch of agents you have. It took my agents two days to track down his actual records. His real name is -”

“Sawada Iemitsu.” Lal hissed angrily turning her glare onto her supposed boss. “Do you know what job she’s talking about? And how does she have agents running around in our organization?”

“It was one of my first jobs!” Iemitsu defended before turning his sights on her with a glare. “And if I catch your agents they’re dead!”

“You won’t.” Haru said simply. “I pulled them two months ago after we finished copying your archive. My people are still digging through everything as we speak. But they are having better luck skulking around the DIA investigations than with that mess you call proper organization.”

“ _Investigations_?” Enma asked with wide eyes. “You mean to tell me there is more than one?”

She shrugged. “The Vongola is the largest Mafia family in the world and has had the most power and influence for decades. Of course, there will be multiple investigations, not only by the DIA of Italy. I just read a rather riveting report copied from the Interpol task force put in place to track Vongola operations in France. Not to mention the bulldogs in America that have latched onto three of the Vongola’s long time allies in that country and are out for blood after twelve of their agents were killed in a shootout. Americans are always so volatile.”

Tsuna had made a noise in the back of his throat as his eyes widened.

“I haven’t heard any of this.” He said looking a bit pale.

“No, you wouldn’t have.” She said with a bit of a smirk. “Nono Vongola put the CEDEF in charge of monitoring these little investigations. Unless you’ve changed the policy recently, the CEDEF doesn’t need to advise you of such things so long as it isn’t an immediate threat to your operations. I guess the old boss was just as allergic to paperwork as the new one.”

“The files you have that convinced Byakuran-dono and Yuni-dono were part of your digging weren’t they, Chiyo-dono.” Dino put in pleasantly with a slightly dark tone to his voice. “Just how far have you managed to dig into the Vongola operations?”

“She has all their files from the CEDEF and science branches, as well as most of the files from the main branch of operations and a quarter of the Varia files.” Verde said simply.

Haru shrugged as every single person across from her turned their wide eyes towards her.

“It was a good training exercise.” She explained getting a snort from Xanxus.

“The Maboroshi.” He said darkly with a smirk. “I don’t know if I want to slaughter them or recruit them.”

“They’re mine.” She said coolly. “And they know their mine.”

She had gotten cheers and a few unheard jeers over the earpiece she was wearing. There wasn’t a woman in the Maboroshi that would turn on her. In many cases she saved their lives and loyalty earned from that was hard to break.

But the meeting devolved again.

She did get a wonderful front row seat to Lal and Iemitsu having an explosive argument over security. Reborn was especially displeased and nearly shot Sawada senior. The fact that Dino, Enma, and Longchamp were sending Tsuna disbelieving looks as the Vongola Don hit his head against the table weren’t helping.

She poured herself a glass of water and sat back to enjoy the train wreck in front of her. Tsuna was not instilling any confidence in his few scarce allies and it was showing in their glances to each other. As she almost smirked around the rim of her glass, she was almost certain she would be hearing from the other Dons sooner rather than later.

She had made a note that she would need to get a longer table to fit the people on her side. That didn’t even take into account her other project was on schedule and her ally in it would be sending a representative to the next meeting. It would mean her top lieutenant would be stepping out, but her lieutenants would better serve her outside the meetings than having to sit through them as bored as they had been.

She raised an eyebrow as Xanxus made a point of pouring himself some water from the same pitcher she used.

In the end she sauntered out with her allies all exasperated by the show they were given. It was hard to take the Vongola seriously when they were squabbling with each other. Admittedly not all was well on her side of the table, but she made sure that they checked the baggage at the door to show a unified front.

Just the mess that was Hibari and Mukuro alone could be embarrassing if they were airing their grievances with a potential enemy across from them. Fon though said it was good training for the two. If they could pretend to tolerate each other now, then when they had to be present as Tsuna’s guardians, things wouldn’t be nearly as bad for the Vongola Sky.

She wasn’t surprised to get calls from Dino, Enma, and Longchamp almost the moment she got home. They all wanted to discuss a possible alliance with her so long as they got access to the files she had. She was more than willing to have a private chat with them, especially since she knew if the Vongola did crash and burn they would be hard press to protect their families like they would want.

She wasn’t expecting the call from Xanxus.

She met him at Aotani’s Mexican Delights. It was a small place but still public. Not to mention she really wanted some tacos.

She found it amusing that the place had a surge of business in a slow part of the day. When she mentioned tacos more than a few of her foot soldiers jumped at the chance of discretely guarding her. There were even a few Maboroshi posing as civilians, a group of high school girls giggling over boys in the corner and two business women bemoaning the cease pool of romantic interests.

Her minions weren’t the only ones either. She spotted Reggie and Alex trying very hard to blend in, too bad both blushed and slumped like naughty children when she raised a sharp eyebrow at them. Even more unfortunately for their associates, many gave away their positions because they couldn’t quite hold back their amusement at how easily she spotted the two.

“You really need to up the training of the baby Varia.” She said in way of greeting when Xanxus strolled up to her table with Squalo in tow. “I spotted ten within the first five minutes and counted another seven while waiting for my drink.”

He scoffed. “You’re telling me. I can only see five of your men in this crowd and that’s only because of the facial tattoos.”

Her smile had a touch of pride. “So, what can I do for you, Xanxus-san? It’s not every day you use your manners after all.”

He gave her a vicious grin in return. “Your files, trash. How much do you want for them?”

“Depends on why you want them.” She said simply as she rested her chin on her hand. “While admittedly the recent events have put my goals at odds with Tsuna-san’s. He is still a dear friend of mine and if he remembered that, I wouldn’t be too averse to work with him. Unfortunately, his father is reinforcing his image as a braying jackass.”

Squalo choked on his drink while Xanxus just grinned at her.

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Xanxus admitted. “I know you’ve already proven your loyalty to the idiot even if he isn’t aware of it.”

“Going to threaten me with my scars again?” She asked coolly. “If so, I can leave now and save the dramatic exit for a more appropriate time.”

“I wasn’t threatening you last time.” He countered gruffly. “I said it more as a compliment. Do you honestly think I’d be that crass?”

She hummed thoughtfully. “Perhaps not that crass. But you could use a lesson or two at charm school. Your complimenting skills leave a lot to desire and I fear for any woman you try to date in the future. I wouldn’t put it past you to compare her to a cow. But then again you would probably start shooting people if you had to attend charm school.”

“He did.” Squalo said with a grin. “He shot Madame Barone when she tried to tie him to a chair, so he wouldn’t slouch while learning table etiquettes.”

“That old hag had it coming.” Xanxus defended with a sneer. “At least I wasn’t the one who stabbed her with an oyster fork.”

“My hand slipped.” Squalo snapped and she had to lightly bite her tongue to keep from laughing at them.

It took all her control to coolly raise an eyebrow and say, “Gentlemen.”

Xanxus stopped what he was about to say to send her a look. She was unfazed, and he sighed crossing his arms. Squalo huffed and rolled his eyes.

“While I’m sure this is a riveting discussion about your school days. I only have so much time to eat and leave. I have an actual job on top of my family obligations after all.”

“You need a vacation.” Squalo put in. “And I mean a legitimate vacation. Not going off to help any international friends you have on jobs they might need your skills for. We finally tracked down what you were up to in Malta. And Mammon confirmed you were spotted in Portugal with the same Russian you were with on that job. Who is he by the way?”

“He’s a friend.” She said simply. “Who also happened to be my firearms instructor because Japan has strict laws dealing with firearms.”

“You got him off the black market then.” Xanxus said with a sigh. “You’re far too resourceful. And Sheng? You know him from more than just a few jobs.”

She rolled her eyes. “He and my Russian work together occasionally. While I did meet him by nearly crashing a Camaro on him, we unfortunately have had more than a few run-ins.”

“You,” Squalo smirked, “really don’t like him huh?”

“If Fon-san wasn’t here, he would have already gone missing.” She said darkly. “I barely got Fon-san to agree breaking his wrist was adequate punishment for him slapping my ass.”

Fon was actually talking to the triads to send another representative. The Storm Arcobaleno had to intervene more than a few times when the two of them clashed. And not just because Sheng got it into his head that he wanted to try another cheesy pick up line.

There was a reason the organization kept a large body of water between the two of them after all.

“But enough about him.” She said dismissively, else she would probably lash out in misplaced anger. “What were you saying about my files?”

“How much do you want for them?” Xanxus said shifting to suddenly all business.

“Like I said, it depends.” She said simply.

“Girly, you’re whittling away years of alliances the Vongola forged in mere days.” Squalo said with a sigh. “Admittedly, our shitty Don isn’t helping much with letting his father run amok. But if we want to salvage what’s left we need to know what we’re dealing with.”

“And the Varia has the resources for such an operation?” She asked with a challenging raised eyebrow.

“We would if we had the backing of your Maboroshi.” Xanxus said simply. “They’re highly trained intelligence agents, right? The kind that can get in and out with everything including the kitchen sink and not leave a trace behind. Not to mention you go on jobs as well. Belphegor told us all he could about your little run-in on that roof, not that it was much. You really did a number on him.”

She gave a fake pout. “He enjoyed it.”

Xanxus’s grin was all amused predator. “He’s still pouting about it.”

“I have faith that one day he will finally reach the age of three.” She gushed with motherly pride. “I know he has it in him. He just has to believe in himself.”

Squalo just about fell out of his chair laughing. Xanxus grinned at her far more amused than predatory. She just smiled pleasantly at them.

“But in all seriousness,” she dropped the act, “why should I let some of my most loyal minions work with you? You should know by now the jobs the Maboroshi take aren’t easy and have a far higher failure rate than the Varia are reportedly comfortable with.”

“But that’s it isn’t it?” Xanxus said simply. “They would rather die than even think about betraying you. I’m not sure where you got such loyal minions but that’s what the Varia, no what the Vongola are lacking. You got some of Sawada’s own guardians to side against him, in a conflict between two factions. Something tells me your Maboroshi would sooner kill themselves than even entertain such a notion.”

“Well,” she leaned back in her chair thoughtfully, “you’re not wrong. Still doesn’t explain why I should let you borrow them.”

“Someone will have to help Sawada fix things. From what has already been inferred his father wasn’t the only one at fault. I know the old man tended to let things fall to the wayside if he didn’t want to deal with them.”

“And you’re going to be the ones to pull the Vongola out of this little mess?”

“We’re the Varia.” Xanxus said with a bit of pride. “The old man might have done his best to restrict our independence, but that makes us no less than Quality still.”

“So not only do you want my information but my top minions as well?” She said thoughtfully. “Yet you haven’t offered up anything in return.”

“I’ll make sure the Varia doesn’t take any jobs against you and yours.” Xanxus said making her raise an eyebrow. “Plus, we can work out proper compensation for your agents. You have to have something you want that the Varia can exchange for the files.”

“Nothing comes to mind.” She said simply.

“Not even an open-ended favor or two?” He challenged, and she blinked.

“That’s a bold offer.” She said before checking her watch. “I’ll consider it I suppose. But I really must be going if I want to clock in on time. It was nice chatting with you, gentlemen.”

They let her go, but she knew it wasn’t the last of it. In fact, she wasn’t even surprised to see Belphegor waiting for her next to her car when she got off shift. Instead she just smirked and shook her head.

“A bit early to be losing beauty sleep.” She said getting a snort from him.

“A prince doesn’t need beauty sleep to remain handsome.” He said with a sniff. “But coffee would be nice.”

“Who tossed you out of bed?” She couldn’t help giggling at the disgruntled look on his face.

“Lussuria, the shitty peacock has always been more of a morning person.” Belphegor said through a yawn. “The prince would rather stay up all night or sleep longer.”

“So what sort of sales pitch are you going to give me now?” She asked as she stopped at a drive thru.

“I don’t have a script.” He said before perking up as she pulled in two cups of coffee. “Yes, please, must have.”

She smirked as he held out his hand for the second cup. She shook her head as he didn’t even bother to check as he took a sip of the hot beverage. He was soon cursing the temperature but was otherwise was pleased with the world.

“How do you know how I like my coffee?” He asked as he began perking up a bit more.

“Lussuria-san and I had to talk about something while cleaning up after you barged into my usual day of drinking.” She said with a roll of her eyes. “I also know your preferred breakfast and how Xanxus-san prefers poached eggs over boiled.”

“So, you were discussing breakfast food?” Belphegor asked a bit incredulous. “What do you usually eat for breakfast?”

“Left overs.” She said with a shrug. “I’m usually not awake enough to care. Sayuri-chan sometimes leaves breakfast out for me but she’s almost always in a rush to get to school.”

“That’s a load of bullshit, we know her name isn’t Sayuri and it’s questionable if she actually attends school.” He said shrewdly making her fight down a giggle.

“Her name _is_ Sayuri. As for school, she’s almost out of high school.” She said with a smirk. “Just she doesn’t attend the typical high school and due to circumstances, we had to change her records.”

“Is she part of the Maboroshi as well?” He asked with a frown. “I wouldn’t think so looking at her, but you’re one hell of a gal and look like you wouldn’t harm a fly.”

“Xanxus-san says you’re still pouting over our last encounter.” She supplied instead of answering.

“It’s not fair how easily you can catch me off guard, Kitsune.” He almost whined with a frown.

“All’s fair in love and war, isn’t that the saying?” She asked. “Besides, aren’t you supposed to be some sort of top assassin? You should anticipate the unexpected.”

“My targets usually aren’t highly trained ninjas with a habit of using seduction against me.” He said with a sniff. “Though I don’t mind too horribly. It still is ruining my image.”

“Better me than someone trying to kill you.” She said with a smirk. “I know more than a few seductresses that would eat you alive and laugh about it.”

“Do you always flirt with your targets?” He asked with a frown making her laugh.

“Only the fun ones I don’t mind keeping for a while.” She said shaking her head. “But I’m mostly support for the real killers. My medical skills are valuable after all.”

“Well I can’t argue with that.” He said with a smirk.

“So, what is your real purpose for stalking my car? You aren’t going to plant a bomb or cut the brakes when my back is turned, are you?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Bombs aren’t my style Kitsune, you know that. And no, I won’t cut your breaks either.” He said smirking around the rim of his coffee mug.

“Then you are going to annoy me until I give into Xanxus-san’s demands, either by being actually annoying or being bait.” She said eyeing him out of the corner of her eye.

“You caught me.” He said with a hand over his heart. “Whatever will I do?”

“Tell Xanxus-san that if you get underfoot I might be less inclined to working with him.” She said with a fake sniff.

“Aw, Kitsune, I thought we already went over this. We have more chemistry than that.” He said smirking at her.

“Like hot oil and water.” She reminded coolly only he grinned.

“Perhaps not that volatile, we haven’t tried to kill each other in a while.” He said pleased. “I’m not even annoyed you saw my eyes. Usually it pisses me off so much I slaughter the person. You should feel honored.”

“I’m so glad you’re refraining from violence.” She drawled. “I don’t need any complications today.”

“Busy?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Hikaru-kun is sick and I have a few meetings before work again.” She said with a sigh.

“Need some help?” He asked with a frown. “I don’t know much about kids, but I follow instructions pretty well.”

“And I should trust you?” She asked frowning slightly.

“You can trust me, Kitsune. I know the shitstorm that will happen if anything happens to the twins. Besides, you probably have all your secret information locked down somewhere in your house that I won’t find without alerting you.” He said with a grin. “We’re still friends, aren’t we?”

She had her reservations but found herself caving rather quickly. She wondered when he went from annoying friend she would rather leave on the doorstep to annoying friend that could enter her home unchecked. Regardless he was rather quick with instructions and she was soon being ushered off to take a nap.

She really wanted to have more concern that he was watching over her babies. She didn’t like that a part of her relaxed knowing he was there. Even if it had been some time since just being near him made her on edge.

So, despite his rather stellar efforts of dealing with a sick almost three-year-old and his concerned sister, she still stole his crown before he left. It was the least she could do for letting her have at least five hours of solid sleep before she had to function as a normal human. Though it was still funny seeing him hold her son over the toilet as the baby projectile vomited the contents of his tiny stomach.

Her son would be fine. The amazed and slightly disturbed look on Belphegor’s face said he might not be. Sue her for snapping a photo while she held a giggling Hotaru on her hip.


	26. Car Troubles

The twenty-sixth time she stole his crown, she was having a bad day. It was all Freetown’s fault as well, even if the man was six feet under at this point. Turns out his minions were more loyal than her or Moscow gave them credit for.

With Moscow off lost in the Siberian Wilderness they managed to track her down instead. Monrovia had given her a heads up about this potential complication at least. Still didn’t mean she wanted to deal with it right in the middle of negotiations with the Vongola.

Though the whole week was one complication after another. The shift after she found Belphegor hovering around her car, she got a visit from Reborn. She was anticipating an unexpected visit, but he could have timed it a bit better.

“Stressed?” he asked when she walked into her office.

“I’m in the middle of a war zone.” She snapped back. “What do you want?”

He smirked and proceeded to try to bully her into his demands. Had it been another time she probably would have at least entertained him a bit. As it was she jumped at the first chance to distract him and send him on his way.

She had hoped Bianchi would forgive her for a quick rendezvous with her man. But having to tell the Poison Scorpion what happened was not on her list of priorities. On the plus side, Bianchi was more angered by Reborn falling for Haru’s calculated seduction than with Haru herself.

“I know you wouldn’t pull something like that on me.” Bianchi cooed. “You always use what weapon you have on you. If that just happen to be your feminine wiles, I can’t fault you for that. But sleep with my man again and we’ll have issues.”

She had snorted and told her he wasn’t even that good of a lay. Which, was unfortunately true. Because Reborn, and the other Arcobaleno, was going through an accelerated aging process his hormone levels were out of balance.

He lasted maybe two minutes and she barely got any pleasure out of it. She did steal his fedora though, which was a plus. She was even more bemused at the wide-eyed look Fon gave her when she wore it to her next meeting with the Namimori-kai and assorted allies.

At least on that front she was looking stellar.

Dino, Enma, and Longchamp all sided with her after just a few of the files she presented. She didn’t even have to go divulging the _secrets_ she dug up. Just show them how close the DIA and assorted other law enforcement groups were to taking down the Vongola operations and they were hers.

Unfortunately, Iemitsu was even more of an annoyance after hearing the other dons were pulling their support.

She had several CEDEF agents walk up to her door and demand to speak with her. When Sayuri tried to send them away, they muscled their way through the door. She would have been oddly fine with that, but she had just gotten Haruki and Hotaru down for their nap and she hadn’t slept much either.

She had her men drop the poor lackeys on Sawada’s front lawn. They were still living when she was through with them. But it was questionable if they would ever walk again.

Fractured necks were always concerning in that regard.

Iemitsu seemed to think that was an opening to attack her operations outright. Like she had done more than kick them out of her house by tossing them on their heads. So that was a new thing she was dealing with, all the while she was getting reports that Tsuna was running around trying to stop the CEDEF.

But she kept her men in check. They had strict orders that they couldn’t engage unless their lives were threatened. So, they calmly watched the jeering foreigners tramping around Namimori was blank faces and hidden amusement.

Tsuna must have aged ten years when one of the CEDEF agents made the mistake of punching one of the Disciplinary Committee minions. Hibari personally escorted the violator to the Sawada household and told Tsuna, and Iemitsu who was there, that he didn’t appreciate his minions being attacked without provocation. Any further harassment would be seen as disturbing the peace of Namimori and that included the crowding herbivores staking out her operations.

She just about laughed when Lal of all people called to apologize for the idiots she worked for.

It would figure that as this mess was trying to sort it out she would get a serious report. The fact that Megumi simply appeared as she was discussing the upcoming Vongola meeting with her allies made her even less pleased. She didn’t want to reveal the Maboroshi just yet after all, but she supposed her new allies wouldn’t be too surprised when she revealed them.

“Forgive me, my lady.” Megumi said with a bow. “There was an incident in the warehouse district that requires your immediate attention.”

“Who’s this?” Dino asked looking at her operative surprised.

“How serious is it, Maboroshi-chan?” Haru asked answering Dino while fishing for information.

“One squad has reported serious injuries and two of our otouto are dead.” Megumi reported making Haru frown.

Haru held out her hand and was unfazed when a folder was handed over. Megumi took a step back to stand at attention just behind Haru’s left shoulder. With that Haru opened the file and began reading the report.

There was a still photo that seemed to be taken from the camera of one of the Maboroshi masks. A tall thin man of African descent with a scar running down from his right eye to his jawline. She recognized him without even having to look at the written report.

“Joseph.” She sighed.

“You know him, Chiyo-sama?” Hiroyuki asked with a frown looking over her right shoulder at the photo.

“Yea, his name is Kamara Joseph.” She said wanting to put her head in her hand and sigh in aggravation.

“What’s that bastard doing here?” Sheng sat up with a frown glaring at her.

“Um, who is Kamara-san? I’ve never heard of him.” Enma asked with a frown.

“Be glad you haven’t.” Sheng snapped still glaring at her. “He’s the top lieutenant of the South Freetown Boys of Sierra Leone.”

“They’re a nasty bit of work.” She explained since Enma looked even more confused. “Terrorists, pirates, anarchists, they’re not the type to frequent Mafia circles and about as agreeable as a harassed nest of bees.”

“How do you know them, Chiyo-sama?” Hiroyuki asked with a frown.

“It goes back to a few jobs from me and my associates.” Sheng said with a sneer. “The black-market ones that have less to do with organized crime and more to do with mercenary work.”

“The jobs that nearly got you kicked out of the triads?” Fon asked with a frown.

“A few weeks back,” she said catching the attention of the group, “I got a call to be medical support for a friend from Russia. He’s notorious for taking down terrorists but even he can get banged up a bit. His job was to take out the General of the South Freetown Boys.”

“That bastard Solomon is dead, then.” Sheng said with an almost pleased snort.

“Unfortunately, Dmitri has gone ghost in the Siberian wilderness.” She said with a sigh.

“So, they tracked you down.” Sheng shook his head. “Alright, I’ll help.”

“Who said anything about needing help?” She asked with a sniff. “I do have protocols for incidences such as this. I just really dislike the fact he decided now of all times to be underfoot.”

“You know sometimes I can’t tell if your arrogant or just that good.” Sheng said with a frown making her almost smirk.

“Maboroshi-chan,” She said turning to Megumi who perked up slightly, “Youkai Protocol: Black.”

“As you command.” Megumi said before disappearing into thin air.

“Maboroshi-chan is rather terrifying.” Longchamp said with wide eyes. “I couldn’t even tell if she had Flames or not.”

“That’s,” Fon began before frowning, “actually a good point.”

“You can ask her later.” Haru said with a dismissive wave. “Though her big reveal will have to be put on hold for now. She’ll be busy until Joseph is no longer a threat.”

She was unsurprised that after that meeting Hiroyuki pulled her aside and demanded as much information as possible. While she would have preferred to keep her minions ignorant of her dealings with the Organization, she wasn’t cruel. It still didn’t stop Hiroyuki from insisting she have some bodyguards lurking around just in case.

Sometimes he was just too good of a man to be a criminal.

Unfortunately, once she gave the order for a Youkai Protocol, the Maboroshi were taken off the table. Like an airplane evacuation the swift movements of her girls couldn’t be halted or undone. Even Sayuri dawned her mask and headed out to deal with the new threat.

Haru didn’t like the gaping hole that left in her defenses. The Maboroshi might have started out as a simple information network but had evolved into her greatest weapon over the years. With them busy and only a skeleton crew guarding her and hers, it reminded her horribly of her middle school years.

Always looking over her shoulder because just maybe something Tsuna was up to would spill its chaos into her life.

“You seem agitated, Kitsune.” Belphegor said after showing up at her door for dinner. “Is everything all right?”

“Just someone other than Iemitsu making a nuisance of himself.” She said with a sigh.

“ _Target twelve eliminated. Proceeding to clean up._ ” Whispered in her ear via the small earpiece she now constantly wore.

“It’s under control.” She reassured.

“ _Weapon cache seven captured. Send transport to secure valuable assets._ ”

“Are you sure?” He asked pulling her away from what she was listening into. “I’ve never seen you this distracted, even when you were entertaining the peasants.”

“ _Squad Delta Twelve reporting. Encountered heavy resistance. Send additional support. Reporting injuries._ ”

She wished she hadn’t trained them to sound so calm. She could barely catch the distant sound of gunfire off that transmission. But within seconds there were two other squads responding.

“I’m fine.” She said putting on a brave smile. “The Maboroshi can handle it.”

“Even Sayuri-chan? She has to be missing for a reason.” He said.

“ _Operative down. Opera_ -”

She tried to swallow the bile rising in her chest as the voice was cut off with a sharp grunt. She knew the agent reporting was injured. She tried not to think it might have been fatal.

“A bit of strife.” She said forcing a smile.

“You can stop trying to act normal, you know.” He said with an unimpressed look. “You’re stuck here under protection, and yes I know about the guards even if I could only spot one. Meanwhile your people are out somewhere doing something you don’t like if that snarl trying to curl your lip is any indication. But it’s something important, otherwise you would have them doing it.”

“Am I that obvious?” She asked with a frown even as she almost sighed hearing the backup squads sneak up and start slaughtering the resistance.

“No.” He said with a chuckle. “I’m just starting to understand your moods. Before I thought you had an act you put on for the others. But I’m beginning to realize you don’t fake your moods around your friends. It makes it easier to notice when you are trying to act around them.”

“I’ve clearly spent far too much time around you.” She said shaking her head with a strained smile. “Perhaps I should start elevating that problem.”

“ _Squad Delta Twelve reporting. Situation is under control. Multiple injuries. No fatalities._ ”

“I don’t see as a problem. Isn’t there some psychological research into systematic desensitization? The more time you spend around me the easier it is for you to be around Storms in general. You can’t tell me there isn’t a Storm or two in the Maboroshi. They have to have some form of Flames to operate a Mist generating cloaking device.”

“What makes you think the cloaking device uses Mist Flames?” She asked with a challenging raise of her eyebrow. She tried not to focus on another incident of resistance her girls were currently facing.

“I turned it off with my Flames when we were on that roof.” He said with a smirk. “I couldn’t pinpoint were it was exactly on your person, but I’ve been around Mists long enough that I can tell a point of origin pretty well.”

“You were the one to fry my cloak?” She asked almost outraged. “Do you know how long it took me to fix it? You bastard!”

As she crossed her arms and grumbled about the work that went into fixing her broken cloaking device, he threw his head back and laughed. She had thought it odd that it deactivated. She had thought she overloaded it after noticing how some of the more sensitive parts had been melted.

She barely even realized his goal was to distract her as they got into another argument. This time it was about how he could keep his flames to himself while he argued she was far deadlier with hers. By the time he left, she was cursing him as she realized she felt more at ease.

So, she did something she really should have done a long time ago.

She barged into Yukiko’s “office” to have a chat with the woman. The office was in fact one of the apartments in a fairly large complex she owned that housed the Maboroshi. It was the official office of the psychologist/psychiatrist/therapist.

Yukiko herself would surprise most people. She looked like she could be on the cover of one of the latest fashion magazines, her slim frame bolstered by the size D breast implants she got on a whim. She had sharp dark brown eyes behind a pair of wire framed glasses and her long hair was tied up in a bun.

Too bad she was wearing an almost see-through pink teddy-nightgown with white fluffy trim and a matching thong.

“Do you ever put clothes on?” Haru asked flopping down on the couch.

“Only when I go grocery shopping.” Yukiko said with a shrug as she lit a cigarette. “Which looks like might happen for the first time in three months. The girls are really busy if they can’t pick up my miserable list of readymade meals.”

“Maybe you could put some clothes on and drop in for dinner at my place.” Haru suggested with a snort. “If you don’t get any sun soon I’d swear you were trying to blend in with the walls.”

“Boss, you pay me to mind fuck your girls, so they don’t go off the deep end. If that means they must put up with me showing them a little eye candy, then so be it. Besides, I’ve hit the end of my gambling budget and I really don’t want to take the train to the town over. You taking over every yakuza business in the city is probably the worse punishment you’ve ever put me through.”

“Look on the bright side. At least now you don’t have to worry about ending up dead in a ditch because you couldn’t pay off your gambling debts on time.”

“By giving me a gambling allowance?”

“On top of your set wage.” Haru pointed out getting a sigh.

“So, dear overlord, what gloriously twisted event has you haunting my little abode? And does it require I break out the sake?”

“I don’t need a drink.” Haru said with a snort.

“No, but _I_ might.” Yukiko countered jabbing her cigarette in Haru’s direction. “With you, shit doesn’t hit the fan. It goes straight through the roof and into the stratosphere. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you’ve been avoiding our weekly therapy sessions for almost a little over a year now. Even when you do make it, we just play mahjong with Emiko and Rika across the hall. So, if you’re here, you’re ready to talk.”

Haru sighed in defeat. She loved Yukiko, she really did. But sometimes she wished the courts had given her a saner therapist.

But she asked for cheap and, before working full time for Haru, Yukiko jumped at every available job to pay off her gambling debts. Even better, the woman knew her stuff. So really, Haru found the best cheapest and easiest therapist probably in all Namimori to help her through her mental struggles.

She however didn’t think Yukiko had to toss a crystal ashtray at her once she finished recounting everything that happened with Belphegor up to that point.

“One,” Yukiko said as she glared over the rim of her glasses to make Haru clean up the ashes coating the white leather couch, “you’re an ass that needs to talk to me more. Two, you really need to get a clue.”

“A clue about what?” Haru squawked as she dodged a stress ball as she shook the ashes out of her hair.

“About this Belphegor-san.” Yukiko said with a snort. “Like for instance, you’ve been _flirting_ with him for nearly a year now. What happened to the sniveling woman who flinched whenever Rika used her Flames? You could barely get anywhere near people with Storm Flames, now you go around molesting one? Not to mention a dangerous man who is a known member of an elite assassination squad? Are you suicidal?”

“No?” Haru asked blinking at the woman. “I mean, sure, I’ve done some questionable things in the recent months. But I do enjoy living and would rather avoid pain right now.”

“So, what makes Belphegor-san different?” Yukiko asked lighting another cigarette.

Haru opened her mouth but no sound came out. Her mind was rather blank as well. She could just about picture the anime question marks floating around her head.

“Right,” Yukiko sighed, “let’s try this from a different angle. How do you feel when you’re around him?”

“Vaguely annoyed, but mostly calm or at ease?” Haru offered frowning to herself. “He’s amusing, and it freaks me out that I get his sense of humor but can’t stop myself from laughing. I don’t even feel threatened when he’s arguing with me over something almost childishly stupid, like how old he acts.”

“And this crown game you two got going on?” Yukiko prompted. “If you had to stop tomorrow, could you?”

“Um, maybe?” Haru said thinking about it. She certainly could just stop. But seeing the glinting metal and knowing he didn’t mind her snagging it, just made her feel a sense of excitement.

It wasn’t a thrill like slipping into a government facility with state of the art security to steal some documents was thrilling. It also wasn’t the rush she got when preforming a surgery and knowing her patient would be walking out of the hospital. But it was certainly up there in its own category.

“I think we’re getting closer.” Yukiko said with a smirk. “Now answer me this. Of all the ways you know how to escape being cornered by someone, why do you default to molesting him?”

“I molest most of the men trying to corner me. It throws them off their game and opens them up for an attack.” She defended.

“Even when there’s been some incidents where you didn’t need to? Like take for example the incident in Malta. You had an entire alleyway to work with, instead you kissed him.”

Haru felt her heart stutter slightly as her face felt warmer. “I-I don’t know, desu. Why are you asking Haru such things?”

“Not to mention you’ve so easily let him near your kids.” Yukiko continued with a bit of a smirk. “Something that took a lot of begging by the Maboroshi for you to even consider. In fact, you were even reluctant to introduce your boys to Hikaru.”

Haru wasn’t certain why her face felt like it was melting off. She was drawing a blank and was already looking for an exit. It was suddenly really hard for her to remember that breathing was apparently a thing humans needed to survive.

“Well,” Yukiko said standing from her overstuffed reading chair with a smirk, “I haven’t met this Belphegor-san yet myself. But bring him by some time. If he’s mentally stable enough I may just start a Haru/Bel fan club. I know the girls would adopt it as their OTP. You need a partner to rely on.”

“I don’t need your permission to date someone.” Haru snapped before realizing the words ever left her mouth. She then proceeded to gape because those words left her mouth. She was sure those words should have never left her mouth, least of all regarding Belphegor.

She didn’t like him like that. Did she?

Her helpful mind decided to supply her with a memory of a world washed in night vision. Even now her eyes could trace the man’s skin and sculpted muscles. Her mind reminding her of small details like the trail of hair from his lower abdomen going down towards…

She physically shook her head to dislodge the memory from her mind. It was only then she realized she was no longer at Yukiko’s. A faint dazed thought telling her she left after being dismissed with a promise they would be chatting again soon.

She pinched the bridge of her nose to stave off a mounting headache. On the plus side Yukiko helped her sort out the stress of her girls going off to fight terrorists. But now she had yet another complication to deal with.

She didn’t think she could remain poised when looking at the Varia Storm, at least not for a little while. With how her luck was going, all it would take was seeing him for her mind to jump to that night when she actually stole his crown. She really wished she could forget that in its entirety.

But she refused to do something stupid, like find someone to sleep with to get her mind off things. Instead she focused on the next best thing, work. It also helped that Belphegor had suddenly made himself scarce, likely off trying to figure out what her Maboroshi were up to.

And no, that didn’t make her feel warm or safe when she thought he’d go out of his way to figure out what was bothering her. It was perhaps rather easy for her to convince herself he was only doing so because the Varia wanted her and her girls. If she thought of him in those terms, their interactions just became calculated actions to lull her into a false sense of security to tie her down.

She had more pressing matters to deal with than whether she was willing to adopt a bunch of grown assassins into her brood of glorified children.

Ultimately her bad day could be boiled down into her being distracted. Distracted by the threat to her girls. Distracted by the racing thoughts Yukiko put in her head.

She didn’t even see the car hurtling towards the side of her car until it was too late to avoid it.

It was a slow-motion type of thing. She spotted something out of the corner of her eye and turned to look. The front end of another car was aimed right at her driver side door and not stopping.

She could even look up into the eyes of the man of African descent as he focused on driving right into her.

She let go of the steering wheel. Her right arm shot up to protect her face. Her left hand shot down to rest near the seatbelt latch.

Then her world exploded.

Glass shards from her rolled up window pierced her forearm. The airbag deployed smelling faintly sulfuric as it punched into her chest. It sounded like someone popping a cork out of a bottle but several times louder and with a grinding metal sound for back up.

Her car skidded sideways off the road. Then her body jerked as the passenger side door was smashed. More glass and twisted metal shot at her from that direction making her duck her head against the deployed airbag.

Then the chaos stopped.

She could hear the ticking of her emergency lights. The radio crackling still but sounding morphed from the busted speakers. There was also the sound of a car horn, but it was coming from just outside her window rather than in it.

The smell of burnt plastic hung in the air and clung to her clothes. But she couldn’t smell any smoke or gasoline. A faint smell of talcum powder also clung to her, likely all of it coming from her deployed airbag.

She blinked her eyes open surprised she had closed them. The airbag was lying limp against her chest and sagging to her lap. Likely deflated from the impact with either the car or whatever her car was pushed into.

Before she did anything else she moved her feet. She could see them moving, even feel the slight tingling of the adrenaline rushing blood to her toes. Still she toed off one of her shoes and wiggled them in her sock before slipping the shoe back on.

She couldn’t feel any pain just yet, but she knew the adrenaline was likely suppressing the pain. She took a controlled breath and gently let her Cloud Flames seep through her body. Even if she wasn’t seriously hurt, the Undying Body Technique would repair any damage should she need to move in the next few minutes.

She then carefully looked up and peered through the broken window.

The other car was to her right and obscured by some billowing smoke pouring from the engine block. To her left was the large trunk of a stately oak, somehow still standing tall despite her car hugging it. She could see nothing through the cracked windshield in front of her.

Once she was certain her internal injuries were taken care of by her Flames. She sat up fully and assessed just how trapped she was. She just about winced as she noticed the steering wheel pressing her thighs into her seat.

She absently turned off the ignition and wiggled the keys out. Then she tugged her seatbelt free after a few attempts. She couldn’t wiggle out from under the steering wheel and crushed dashboard at first.

But she solved her problem by forcing her seat to recline back and pulling herself into the back seat.

She checked the rear passenger side window seeing only forest beyond the slightly broken glass. The door was jammed shut, but nothing a bit of kicking couldn’t solve. She ended up crawling out the window and stumbling a bit into the foliage to cling to a tree.

As she caught her breath she looked over the scene.

She was driving on a relatively less traveled road between the two towns. It was one of the seven routes she was using to get to her meeting with the Vongola. Clearly Joseph had his men staking out these locations if she was right about who was driving.

She knew she had to be right since the only place road she could see was a small dirt one. It was likely a service road heading to a cellphone tower she could spot in the distance. The road looked horribly cared for so the traffic down that little side road was probably non-existent.

“ _Chiyome-sama? Chiyome-sama, come in._ ” She heard whispered in her ear and just about sighed in relief.

She fumbled with the collar of her dress shirt to make sure the microphone was still there.

“Affirmative.” She said noting the collective sigh she got in return. “Possible hostile contact. Twenty minutes from destination.”

“ _Understood. Squad Omega Seven in route._ ”

She couldn’t help the smile that stretched her lips at that moment. The Fishy Squad, as they were fondly known as, were some of her best smugglers. They would be by with possibly a wrecker and a new car for her.

In the meantime, she pulled one of her custom guns from the hidden holster tucked in the waistband of her skirt. She approached the driver side of the car that hit her cautiously. If someone was determined enough to T-bone her, she wasn’t going to take any chances.

She barely dodged the first bullet that whizzed past her ear.

Even as the driver got out, she saw the three vans speeding down the service road. She cursed and raced into the foliage nearest her side of the road away from the vans. It was a good thing to, because as she took cover behind a tree the unpleasant sound of machine gun fire started up on the other side of the road.

She could tell from the unbroken barrage of bullets tearing into the tree she was behind that they had some sort of Gatling gun. She figured it was mounted on top of one of the vans, possibly with a fake sunroof to allow them to pull it down for concealment. She knocked her head back against the rough bark of the tree for only a moment, then after pulling out her second gun she sprinted forward further into the trees.

Thirty minutes later she had one bullet wound to her shoulder, thirty dead terrorists, and a squad of eight worried Maboroshi fussing over her.

She didn’t have time to dig the bullet out of her shoulder. Instead she slapped some gauze on it and tapped it down for now. She then accepted another, less bloody, replacement outfit from one of her girls.

Needless to say, she wasn’t in the best of moods when she stomped towards the meeting room more than ten minutes behind schedule.

“Running a bit late, hmm?” Belphegor greeted her at the door where he was standing guard.

She said nothing as she easily snatched the crown off his head before sauntering into the meeting room which was chaotic on the Vongola side and rather blasé on hers.

“Chiyo-sama.” Hiroyuki greeted pleasantly. “I heard you were being delayed by traffic. Nothing too serious I hope.”

“Men are assholes.” She deadpanned making a few choke on their snorts.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t cancel.” A dark voice intoned from where her first lieutenant once sat. “Vindicare is very busy and doesn’t have time to waste on canceled meetings.”

She just about smirked at the tall bandaged man in his dark coat and top hat. The Vindice didn’t change much since the breaking of the Arcobaleno curse. But she heard they were a bit nicer now than they had been.

“Jaeger-sama.” She greeted pleasantly. “I’m sorry for the delay. A bit of traffic and car trouble always has a way of throwing a wrench into perfectly laid plans.”

“I suppose.” He said because he did travel through black holes after all. She wasn’t cool enough to have that super power, but she did try to make due with what she had.

“Now,” She said slipping into her seat across from Tsuna, “how about we discuss the unprovoked attack on my men so Jaeger-sama can get back to more pressing matters I’m sure he has.”  
Tsuna looked at her wide eyes as he gulped.

She almost smirked as she ran a hand through her hair to get her fringe to sit right. Only she frowned as she felt something brushing her fingers and gently pulled it from her locks. She dropped a handful of broken glass onto the table with a sigh.

“And so, I can get to finding a new car. I actually liked the one I had.” She decided to announce.

Tsuna’s mouth was almost on the table as he stared at her. She could already tell Hiroyuki was going to start fussing soon as he started to tsk over the shards of glass. She noticed even some of her allies sending her concerned glances from the corner of her eyes as she stared Tsuna down.

“Hmm?” She raised an eyebrow and propped her chin up on her folded hands, crown dangling from her fingers.

She knew she was in for a long meeting when no matter how hard he tried, Tsuna couldn’t get any words to come out of his bobbing mouth.


	27. Meet the Maboroshi

The twenty-seventh time she stole his crown, she was on a personal mission. Her talk with Yukiko was still bouncing around in her head. She really wanted to know if she _could_ stop acquiring his crown.

Things were looking up after the last meeting with Tsuna. Belphegor had to tell her all about the tantrum Iemitsu through when Tsuna demoted him. In his place Lal took up control of the CEDEF with Ryohei as her apprentice.

Haru knew that in the future Ryohei was part of the CEDEF. It fit the boxer oddly well and appealed to Kyoko’s sense of justice at least. She knew her best friend was also looking to possible being part of the CEDEF because she didn’t want to solely rely on Tsuna in the future.

The best part is Tsuna was allowing her to pursue this new avenue. Oregano oversaw the younger Sasagawa but with strict instructions not to go too easy on the girl because she was Tsuna’s girlfriend. It apparently didn’t make Tsuna worry any less, but he was putting forth an effort.

She learned from Dino, Enma, Yuni, Byakuran, and Longchamp that all of them wanted to reinstate their alliances with the Vongola. But until they were certain things would smooth out with the CEDEF mess they would be refraining. The Dons left after telling Tsuna if they wanted to contact them send a message through Haru.

So, with the excitement dying down she could focus on the more pressing issue she was dealing with.

“Their base isn’t in our territory.” Sayuri said behind her Maboroshi mask.

It barely distinguishable from the others aside from the faint silver pinstripe under two red stripes going down where her cheekbones would be. The silver marking her as the General of the Maboroshi, whereas the thin silver stripes on Megumi’s mask near her jawline marked her as the First Lieutenant. Keiko and Ryoko were her Second and Third respectfully and had similar silver markings on the lower portion of their masks.

“Have you located it?” Haru asked as they stood in one of the main meeting rooms of Namimori-kai’s base of operations.

It was a simple office building almost indistinguishable from the other office buildings. If anyone decided to poke their noses in, they would see several small companies making the place their own. In truth each company was a branch of the Namimori-kai that offered “consulting” jobs.

It worked in their favor two ways. It allowed them to function relatively publicly without people being any wiser. And it allowed Haru to set up wages, salaries, and even benefits while dealing with things like taxes so the chance her Yakuza would be investigated would be marginalized.

Hiroyuki had nearly squealed like a fangirl when he realized the extent of the operations and how many loopholes she exploited. In truth, it was originally a Maboroshi base that was converted to house their new little brothers. And Haru still found it hilarious that her yakuza didn’t mind the Maboroshi referring to them as the younger brothers, in fact all Maboroshi were given the titles of big sister by her men.

Weird family dynamics aside, the two factions got along splendidly and Haru rarely had to step in to soothe anyone’s ego based on gender differences. Skill differences still cropped up, but that was the noobs thinking they could take on one of her girls. Most learned quickly that to be a Maboroshi wasn’t as simple as being female and being able to sneak around places.

“It’s just outside the city to the west.” Megumi said pulling her from her thoughts and redirecting them to the large map of the area.

“They’re not in any territory.” Haru noted with a frown. “Isn’t there an old mansion in this area?”

“That is correct.” Sayuri reported. “We suspect they are using it as a base as we haven’t found any new construction. Likely they excavated the area a bit to hide their more militant weaponry.”

“Have we managed to at least get an estimated list of what we’re up against in that regard?” Haru asked with a frown. She really didn’t like going up against military weaponry.

Keiko pulled out a list form a folder. “Nothing we aren’t too unfamiliar with, but they do have four armored vehicles we know of. Squad Tango Seven reported there is a likelihood that some of their civilian vehicles are armored as well. One of the vans from the road incident had two inches of steal under the fiberglass as well as bullet resistant windows.”

Haru grunted. “I know. The one that had the mini-Gatling gun, right?”

“The very same.” Keiko said with a nod. “We have been trying to figure out if that is the only one or if there are others.”

“How does the security look?” Haru asked turning to Ryoko who gently shook her head.

“All reports state it’s mostly standard. A few extra cameras, some thermal, and a scheduled guard posted. But Squad Foxtrot Eight have reported three mine fields. They staid to watch the instillation.” Ryoko paused to pull out a folder with several pictures. “We have most of the locations of the ordinates and are looking into acquiring equipment to properly deal with them. But it will take a few more days-”

“MIURA!!”

The door banged open.

“Sawada-san I told you that Chiyo-sama is busy at this time.”

She looked over to see Hiroyuki frowning as he tried to step in front of an enraged Iemitsu. From how harried her right-hand man was, she suspected it wasn’t the first time he tried to stop Sawada senior either. Haru just about sighed while her girls tensed.

“Stand down.” Haru ordered so the girls would get their hands off their weapons. “Sawada-san what can I do for you?”

“Dad!” She heard down the hall and almost sighed. “I told you to stop! What do you think you’re doing?!”

Tsuna came rushing up with Gokudera and Ryohei trailing him with Lal and Reborn in tow. Not far behind looking a bit smug was Xanxus flanked by Squalo and Belphegor. Mammon took up the rear and was frowning at one of the Maboroshi that was floating behind the floating Varia Mist, clearly keeping an eye on him.

“You!” Iemitsu turned on her and it was then she realized he might have had one drink too many. “You filthy worthless whore!”

She ignored the way some gasped in shock.

“Do you think it’s funny, you bitch?! Do you know the fucking shit you’ve been putting me through?!” He continued listing all the things she had done to make him miserable. Though she doubted she was the cause for him forgetting to replace the toilet paper in the bathroom.

She calmly stood there with her arms crossed after motioning for her Maboroshi to relax. The idiot was in a drunken rage, and even though he could be dangerous, it was better to just let him get everything off his chest. She honestly didn’t care how he tossed insults at both her and her family along the way.

Over the years she had been called much worse. First regarded as a freak by her fellow peers for her obsessive love of obscure cosplay. Then learning there was an art to insults from terrorists, men and women who order the complete massacres of entire villages like one would a meal at a restaurant.

“What was I saying?” He asked as he got off track after a tearful triad about how glorious Nana was.

“You were saying I was a fucking cunt that looked like something a fish and cow would produce.” Haru said having decided now would be a good time to file her nails as she waited for him to finish. “I believe you were going to continue but got distracted by the wonders of Nana.”

“Fuck you! What makes you think you can put words in my mouth?!” He said waving his fist at her while she raised an eyebrow.

“I didn’t put words in your mouth. I was listening to what you were saying. Isn’t that what you wanted me to do? I can ignore you instead.” She said almost sardonically. She heard a few snorts in the background.

By now Megumi and Sayuri had cleaned up the mess on the table, tucking it into stacks. She knew a few were able to catch a glimpse or two of what they had been working on, but nothing concrete. Instead they sat down on the chairs around the table to watch the show.

Fon, Beijing, and Verde had come up from wherever they were in the building. Likely from the Shipping and Science departments respectively since the Triads were looking into her smuggling business to help with theirs. Verde was in the building to attend a lecture from one of her head scientists and was supposed to be meeting her later to discuss a major project he wanted to work on in Kokuyo Land.

“You think you can disrespect me!!” Iemitsu roared.

The next few seconds happened in slow motion. She saw his hand come up and the barrel of the gun level on her. She let out a sharp whistle that her girls knew well.

Even as she saw the muzzle flash and heard the loud crack of the gun, Ryoko was moving. Keiko, who was nearest her, shot out her hand obscuring the bullet whizzing at her from her view. By the time Keiko’s fingers fisted around the flying projectile, Ryoko had Iemitsu disarmed and on the ground with one of her wakizashi pressed to his neck, sharp edge barely biting into skin.

“HEIII!” Tsuna squealed standing up with wide eyes. There were a few curses as well from a few of the others who were just as startled.

Haru on the other hand just continued to file her nails as if all was well in the universe. The whistle was specific enough that Ryoko knew to only detain the drunkard. Though Haru did look up and eye the fist in front of her.

“Here.” She said grabbing the fist and gently opening it.

She plucked up the compressed metal to set it down on the table, carefully since it was still hot, and began examining her subordinate’s hand for injury. Like she suspected Keiko used her Lightning Flames to strengthen the material of her glove. The Maboroshi also hardened her bones so there was nothing broken as far as she could tell.

“You might have to ice it.” Haru said simply letting the hand go. “I suspect you’ll have a pretty nasty bruise, but nothing too damaging. Nice catch by the way.”

“Thank you, my lady.” Keiko said with a slight bow.

“Ryo-chan.” Haru said turning to Ryoko who looked up slightly. “Why don’t you put him in the quarantine room downstairs, so he has somewhere safe to sober up. And do tell the scientists he isn’t a test subject. You know how they like the lively ones.”

“Your will, my lady.” Ryoko said before disappearing into thin air with Iemitsu still in her grasp.

“Now.” She turned and eyed her other guests.

Many of them were either standing or sitting as they stared at her and the Maboroshi with wide eyes. It was bemusing especially since a few couldn’t stop looking at the bullet before looking at Keiko and back again. At least Hiroyuki was over in a corner sighing and completely unfazed.

“THE FUCK?!” Squalo exploded suddenly looking a bit pale.

“Did that trash just catch a bullet?” Xanxus asked having sat up and was now eyeing Keiko with interest.

“Of course,” Haru rolled her eyes, “it’s not that hard. But the gloves don’t come with extra padding so broken bones and fractures are always a hazard.”

Xanxus’s mouth dropped as he looked at her with wide eyes. Haru really didn’t understand what his problem was. _She_ had to learn how to catch a bullet as part of her training under her Shishou.

Wasn’t it part of Flame training?

She noticed Mammon had turned to eye the Maboroshi agent floating near him. Haru recognized her as Yoko of Squad Alpha Thirteen and the girl was currently seated on the air hanging upside down with her arms crossed. It was bemusing because her hair wasn’t tied up like most of her girls and was falling in a dark waterfall almost to the carpeted floor of the meeting room.

“Yoko-chan, did you lose your hair tie again?” Haru asked with a bemused smirk.

“Aya-chan stole it, my lady. She won’t give it back.” Yoko said almost seeming to pout.

Sayuri sighed before sauntering up to the lower ranking agent. She gently put her hand on top of Yoko’s head and pushed her upward causing the girl to float higher than eyelevel with Mammon. Sayuri seemed to pull a hair tie out of nowhere and proceeded to tie the girl’s hair into a bun, while Yoko was still upside down.

Once Sayuri was finished, Yoko once again floated lower, so she was staring once more at Mammon at eyelevel.

Haru was mildly worried the rambunctious Maboroshi agent had found a new target to bug. Yoko was one of her more mischievous agents and loved a good prank or two. She just hoped Mammon didn’t charge her for any damages and had the patience to put up with the younger girl.

“Haru-chan,” Reborn asked in a rather controlled voice, “who are these lovely ladies?”

Haru hummed before smiling and motioning to the girls at large. “Right, meet Maboroshi-chan.”

“These are your Maboroshi?” Xanxus asked intrigued looking at the ladies present in the room. “I didn’t expect it to be exclusively female.”

“I do have a male subdivision. But they are more part of Namimori-kai while the Maboroshi are more independent.” She answered with a shrug while her girls were shits that waved happily at the Varia Boss.

“Do they all come masked?” Belphegor asked somewhat bemused.

“Masks? Are you calling my face a mask?” Keiko asked with her arms crossed.

“That’s not your face.” Gokudera snapped making Haru fight down a giggle.

“Is too.” Keiko said with a sniff before pulling out a card. It was as driver’s license with Keiko wearing her mask. “See.”

Gokudera sputtered. “How’d you get them to allow you to wear something like that on your identification card?”

“Religious reasons.” Haru and her girls deadpanned making the Vongola Storm sputter even more.

“So,” Haru said shaking her head, “what can I do for you? Verde-chan, I know, but our meeting will have to be pushed back a little it seems.”

“That’s fine.” Verde said with a grin. “This is more entertaining.”

“I was actually trying to stop my dad.” Tsuna said with a sigh. “He’s been on a rampage ever since Mama handed him the divorce papers this morning.”

“She’s going to try to divorce him?” Haru asked in concern.

“Apparently the lawyers were right, and I have a few half-siblings.” Tsuna said with a sigh. “Just another mess for me to clean up. But on the plus side there are other Vongola lines now should mine die out.”

“Those poor unfortunate souls.” Haru said shaking her head.

“In pain, in need.” Megumi intoned.

“Don’t you start.” Haru warned knowing if she let them her girls would recite the whole song.

“I’m going to have that song stuck in my head for the rest of the day.” Sayuri said slumping.

“Cafeteria?” Megumi asked and Sayuri perked up.

“Cafeteria.” She nodded before both turned to her.

“Later.” Haru said shaking her head. “I sort of still need you two here. You can preform show tunes on your own time.”

“I want to be Sebastian.” Yoko perked up. “I’ve even worked on my Jamaican accent.”

“We need a Flounder.” Sayuri said suddenly.

“Sakura-chan down in accounting, she’s always up for some fun.” Megumi said perking up.

“ _Totally! I’ll make a wonderful Flounder. Who’s Scuttle?_ ” Haru heard over the coms.

“ _Oh! Me, me, totally me!_ ”

“ _Reiko-chan they can’t see you waving. And we’re on the other side of the city!_ ”

Haru put her head in her hand and sighed as she heard her girls organizing an impromptu performance of the Little Mermaid.

“Is this normal?” Tsuna asked while a few chuckled at her.

“Yesterday it was a riveting reenactment of Anna Karenina.” Verde said with a smirk. “They’re actually rather talented. You can forget that the performers are all women.”

“I’d really love to hear the coms right now.” Fon said with a smirk. “Judging by your grimace they must be rather enthusiastic about this new play.”

“They’re trying to convince my lady to be Eric.” Megumi offered helpfully. “She has yet to make her decision.”

“I’d rather watch.” Haru said simply. “How about Yukiko-chan? She should be back from her mission in time.”

“ _Yes!!_ ”

“The voices in my head are annoying sometimes.” She told an amused Tsuna.

“Coms?” He asked with a raised eyebrow making her shrug.

“I have to keep in contact with them somehow.”

“Do they listen in on all your conversations?” Squalo asked with a frown.

“No,” Keiko said slumping and tilting her head as she looked at Haru. “Our lady only wears her com system when she deems it necessary. It makes our lives harder because we actually have to keep an eye on her, which isn’t the easiest thing in the world.”

“I can attest to that.” Mammon said with a frown.

“Are the Maboroshi really not that busy?” Xanxus asked eyeing the girls in the room.

“We’re actually very busy.” Sayuri said slumping.

“Super busy.” Megumi nodded.

Suddenly Ryoko walked out of the wall nearest Keiko. “Sawada has been secured and personnel have been alerted. What’s this I hear about the Little Mermaid?”

“We’re going to preform it in the cafeteria later. Want to be one of Ariel’s sisters?” Keiko offered not even moving as Ryoko stepped up beside her.

“I always liked the Little Mermaid.” Ryoko said blankly before nodding. “Very well.”

“Did you just walk out of a wall?” Ryohei asked pointing at Ryoko.

Ryoko paused before looking back at the wall. “It seems like it. I didn’t even notice that was there.”

“How can you not notice a wall?” Ryohei almost yelped.

Ryoko shrugged. “Walls do not apply to the Maboroshi. We are immune to them.”

“They have some device that converts their Flames to Mist Flames.” Belphegor supplied with a grin. “I’m pretty sure they can all use illusions to some degree. That’s what Maboroshi translates into right? Illusion?”

“Or phantom.” Yoko nodded.

“Anyway, if you don’t have any business, can you please leave?” Haru asked turning to the Vongola still there. “I’ll have Iemitsu dropped off after he sobers up. But I must finish this meeting, still meet with Verde-chan, and a few other things today.”

“Of course,” Lal said with a smirk starting to usher the group out.

“You to Fon.” Reborn said grabbing the Chinese man. “I have questions.”

“I have to get back to my meeting as well.” Beijing said with a smirk.

“ _Man-whore._ ” She heard Megumi say over the com even if she was silently standing next to Haru. It took all her control not to choke on a laugh at the unexpected comment.

“ _I really don’t like him either._ ” Sayuri almost whispered, using her mask to muffle her communication.

“ _I can’t wait for the Triads to send us a new representative._ ” Another agent put in.

“ _Rin-chan careful! Not that wire!_ ”

There was a faint sound of an explosion over the coms before the two voices she just heard reported in they were fine. Already their commander was on their case about being careful with explosives. Haru was tempted to take out her earpiece just to have some relief from the insanity.

“Anyway.” She paused looking around to find the room once again held just her and the Maboroshi. “A quick sweep then let’s get back to the problem at hand.”

They quickly cleared the room of any listening devices. They found two, but that wasn’t surprising really. But once they were cleared it was back to dealing with the Joseph problem.

“ _Vongola have left the building._ ” Yoko reported before appearing in the meeting room. “Here my lady, look at what I found!”

Yoko was gone before Haru fully registered she suddenly had Belphegor’s crown on her head. She blinked and patted the diadem on her head. Then she groaned.

“I thought I told all of you not to steal his crown.” She sighed.

“ _If you don’t he will be sad. Do you want Bel-chan sad?_ ” One of her agents asked, she really didn’t care to figure out which at that point.

“ _Sad Bel is bad Bel._ ”

She took her earpiece out and put it in her pocket. She wouldn’t get anything done if they continued to distract her. She ignored how her top four Maboroshi laughed at her.


	28. Birthday Surprise

The twenty-eighth time she stole his crown, it was the twin’s third birthday. She hadn’t seen much of the Vongola after her big reveal, between the thing with Joseph and Tsuna finally taking charge, everyone was busy. So, she was surprised when Belphegor stole her for dinner.

Really it was Sayuri’s fault. One moment she was finishing a bath the next she was being herded into her room with clothes being thrown at her. She barely had time to towel herself dry as she put on the clothes.

“Any reason I’m putting on a dress?” She asked before frowning. “Do I even own this? When did I buy it?”

It wasn’t a bad dress. It hugged her body with a jewel neckline and cute cap sleeves. Colored black, it fully covered her back and had two tiers of fluttery fabric from its dropped waistline.

She didn’t mind that the skirt barely hit mid-thigh.

“You do now.” Sayuri said with a smile. “Put these on while I go get your makeup.”

Haru found herself holding a string of pink pearls with small diamonds stuck between them, as well as a pair of beautiful drop earrings made from some sort of pink metal inlaid with more diamonds. The earrings were shaped in an almost whimsical fashion reminding her of a tremble clef or even a willow-o-wisp as they hung down. There were even two delicate strings of pearls that matched the necklace, a pair of bracelets she realized.

Even as she put them on, the bracelets ending up on one wrist, she knew she hadn’t bought them. She could tell with at least some certainty the difference between costume jewelry and the real deal. Zirconia didn’t sparkle with the same brilliance or clarity as the stones she was now showcasing.

As Sayuri started on her makeup she was beginning to suspect the pink metal might be rose gold.

“Sayuri.”

“Yes Onee-san?”

“Where did these come from?”

“Don’t frown, you’ll make me mess up your lipstick.” Sayuri lightly scolded. “And Belphegor-san dropped them off earlier.”

“Why?” She drawled before shutting her mouth at the glare Sayuri sent her. It took all her control as she felt the light ticklish sensation of a lipstick brush painting color onto her lips.

“He’s taking you out tonight.” Sayuri said simply almost making her sputter.

“Excuse me?!” She at least waited until Sayuri pulled away.

“He insisted that you owed him a proper dance. Since you have nothing to do tonight I told him to pick you up in,” Sayuri paused to check her watch, “thirty minutes.”

“But what about planning for the party later this week?” Haru asked almost throwing up her hands. “And what about my tattoos? There’s no time to properly conceal them. You can’t tell me he doesn’t know about it.”

Sayuri shrugged. “Mist Flames, he knows you have them. As for the party leave that to Megumi-chan and me. Hiroyuki already secured a suitable location as well. It will be fine. Besides what’s the point of having minions if you insist on micromanaging everything?”

Haru was unimpressed but there was little she could do. She supposed she could call up Belphegor and cancel, but she doubted that would happen. For some reason all her Maboroshi seemed intent on keeping Belphegor happy, if that meant sacrificing their boss than so be it.

At the very least Haru figured that it cut down on casualties.

By the time Haru got to see Sayuri’s handiwork she had maybe ten minutes to finish putting on her stockings and shoes. She had to admit the Maboroshi General knew what she was doing at least. Haru looked rather sophisticated in the almost simple looking dress with the splattering of expensive jewelry.

She was sure Belphegor wouldn’t settle on anything less than the best especially when it came to something like jewelry. Even the replica crowns she allowed her to steal were worth well over a million yen. She had one of them appraised and nearly shot the dealer for suggesting that she sell it to him.

“So? How do I look?” She asked her two babies as they sat among their toys in the living room.

“Pretty!” Hotaru said tossing up her hands with a large grin.

“Pretty Kaa-san.” Hikaru added with a serious nod as he tried to cross his chubby little arms.

Did she ever mention how much she loved her two shining lights?

“Very pretty.” A voice that decidedly wasn’t that of a child agreed. She didn’t jump but she did whip around rather quickly. She wondered when she let her guard down enough that he could sneak up on her.

Belphegor wasn’t much different than how she saw him normally. His hair still fell in front of his eyes and he still cocked his crown rakishly on to the side. But he was wearing a tailored black suit with a deep wine-colored shirt, he shouldn’t look better out of uniform she decided, it was an insult to Lussuria’s abilities as a designer.

“Socks and shoes,” Sayuri said coming in to toss her a pair of rolled up nylons. “And it’s still a bit cool out, so you should wear a jacket. Perhaps the trench coat, it would go well with the pearls.”

Haru rolled her eyes as she caught the nylons. She used the edge of the couch to help support her leg as she unrolled the sheer fabric over her legs. She really didn’t care that she could feel Belphegor’s eyes burning into her leg as she made sure the stockings were sitting right.

“Just make sure Hikaru-kun and Hotaru-chan get to bed on time.” She said as she clipped the lacy top with the garter clasp that was under her dress. “And when you’re planning that thing remember it’s not some big bonanza, so don’t go over the top.”

“What’s over the top?” Sayuri said as Haru finished one stocking and moved onto the next.

“You know over the top.” Haru said rolling her eyes at Sayuri’s smirk. “I especially don’t want to see any strippers, I don’t care if you insist on having them in a separate room.”

“Does that include no creative use of inflatable condoms?” Sayuri asked with a raised eyebrow as she handed over Haru’s silver purse. Sayuri deftly dodged the smack to the back of the head.

“There are children present, desu.” Haru huffed.

“You’re the one that brought up strippers, Onee-san.” Sayuri countered with a sly smile. “But don’t worry. Everything will be fine. Just go have fun and don’t worry, I won’t wait up for you.”

Somehow Haru found herself standing on her front step with a snickering Belphegor next to her and her pair of strappy silver heels in her hand. She grumbled to herself about meddling assistants as she tried to balance while slipping on her shoes. She really didn’t want the delicate fabric to catch and to suddenly have a run in her nylons after all.

“Here, Kitsune.” Belphegor said offering her a hand.

She felt her face heat as she still had to brace a hand on his shoulder as he knelt in front of her to slip on her shoes. She wasn’t even sure when he slipped on his own shiny leather shoes. She as sure he was wearing guest slippers as he leaned against the doorframe when he startled her.

“So why are we going out again?” She asked as he stood up from his crouch. She was surprised as he held up her black knee length trench coat for her to put on. She slipped her arms through the sleeves before situating her purse strap over her shoulder.

“The prince owes you a dance.” He said with a smirk. “Don’t think I haven’t forgotten about the ball.”

She just about snorted. “So, you decided to abduct me for dinner?”

“We’re both very busy.” He said with a shrug. “I actually had to call Sayuri-chan a few days back to check your schedule.”

Haru grumbled about meddling assistants again as he guided her to a car with a waiting driver. She only tensed slightly after finding herself in the backseat with Belphegor only a few inches away. She really didn’t like not driving, it somehow always felt like she was giving up some sort of freedom.

She especially didn’t like it if she didn’t’ know where they were going.

It turns out he had made reservations at a very expensive restaurant she had only been to a few times. The food was always delicious and the waitstaff was highly trained. They were seated at a table tucked neatly in a corner where they had full view of all the exits.

“Paranoia at its finest.” She said with a smirk after the waitress left with their drink orders.

“Some habits are hard to overcome, you know that.” He said with a grin. “So how have you been? Fon still hasn’t told Reborn what big issue you were having recently.”

“Just a minor annoyance.” She said with a shrug. “My people have almost finished dealing with him. And you? How’s Tsuna-san and the ongoing drama?”

“You enjoy burying us in a pile of shit and laughing about it.” He accused lightly. “But the shitty don is finally stepping up. As you know Iemitsu was demoted and Lal-san took his place. She’s doing a much better job but she’s threatening everyone and their brother trying to figure out how the Maboroshi got in. Boss actually wants a meeting with you to discuss acquiring some of the more sensitive information we know you have.”

“Is that really why you were asking Sayuri-chan about my schedule?” She asked with a smirk getting a mock offending look in return.

“Kitsune, really? Do you really think I want to neglect you like that?” He asked with a hand over his heart. “I really was just asking her if you were free for dinner. I’ll have more opportunities to bug you about work.”

“Really now? I thought you’d be on a plan back to Europe by now.” She asked with a smirk.

“About that.” He grinned. “Boss got us a nice mansion in the nicer neighborhood. Since I’m the one that has dealt with you the most I got reassigned here until further notice. Don’t be surprise to see the others lurking around either.”

“Has Alex and Reggie stepped up their training? I’ve already got a drop on them twice since they left my boot camp.” She said with a smile.

“Careful, Kitsune, or we will abduct you and give you an offer you can’t refuse.” He said with a grin.

“I’m surprise you’ve watched the Godfather.” She giggled.

“Of course, I’ve watched the Godfather. It’s one of the greatest free advertisers ever.” He chuckled. “Do you know how many shitty peasants approach us each year based solely on that movie? Of course, not all of them are Quality but there’s nothing stopping us from padding the main family. But you don’t need that do you? You practically have the market cornered with how many ninja movies there are.”

She kicked him under the table while he laughed.

Dinner was rather pleasant. They moved away from talking about work to talk about other things. She learned he preferred rugby over football and got to hear about the epic fail that was Squalo sending him to cooking school once when he was younger.

He could cook, but it wouldn’t be getting any stars anytime soon.

She wondered what her life was that she could sit across from this man, an assassin and perhaps one of the most well-known unhinged criminals among her acquaintances, and have a pleasant meal with him. She could still remember the earlier days when she would rather have a large body of water and perhaps a large landmass between them. Instead now she found herself almost riveted to a tale of one of the Varia vacations Lussuria insisted they go on to promote bonding.

She giggled as she learned how Levi nearly got them arrested for suspected child abduction of all things. It was really funny. Even better than the story previous of how the Varia once tried to recruit a hairdresser.

They still haven’t found a quality hairdresser all of them could trust.

She of course insisted she didn’t have that much adventure in her life. Prior to her epic studying to become a surgeon the only real excitement she had was gymnastic competitions and cosplay. Yet he still was rather riveted as she spoke of some of her competitions and what went into some of the more elaborate costumes she had.

He really wanted to see one of her first prize winning costumes, her Chibiusa costume she wore when she was younger. She still had the pictures of course but she really wasn’t sure she should show them to him. She always felt a bit self-conscious when it came to her first costumes after all.

By the time desert rolled around they were laughing over the new Marvel Movies that came out. She still insisted the man who played Bruce Banner was attractive while he was comparing her to the Marvel women. She apparently had nothing on Scarlet Witch, but she doubted it.

She tried not to blush when she realized she spent most of dessert and a small portion of dinner lightly rubbing the side of his leg with her foot. She hadn’t even noticed she was doing it until he stood as they were about to leave. She tried not to shake her head as she instead focused on keeping her hands to herself.

Only that proved to be a problem as he escorted her to a nice cocktail lounge. She had been to the place before, a high-end club that played ballroom music instead of the latest hits. Everyone there was dressed to the nines and the preferred dance was the waltz instead of twerking.

She found herself swept up in his arms as he grinned at her. She of course rolled her eyes and pushed his shoulder rather than punching it like she wanted. Still he wasn’t a bad dancer, so she didn’t have to worry about having her feet stepped on.

“What were you and Sayuri-chan talking about while we were leaving?” He asked as they glided across the dance floor.

“About?” She asked raising an eyebrow.

“Planning, strippers, creative use of inflatable condoms?” He asked his grin growing as he went along.

“Oh, that.” She said with a delicate snort. “The twins are turning three at the end of the week. The last two birthdays weren’t over the top or anything. Mostly Yamamoto-kun coming over to share cake with Sayuri and me while the twins made a mess. But everyone insists we have a party this year.”

“So, an official coming out sort of thing?” He asked with a smirk. “I didn’t think you’d ever agree to that until after they reached fifteen.”

“Well not official.” She amended. “Just Namimori-kai and the Maboroshi as well as a few trusted friends, like Yamamoto-kun.”

“You do realize once Reborn hears about the party he’ll insist we all attend. I might even invite the boss.” He said with a grin.

“You don’t know where or when it will be.” She said shaking her head.

“But Yamamoto will.” He grinned.

“You’re not letting this go, are you?”

“Although it’s not official, you are an ally of the Vongola. You proved that when instead of using all the information you gathered to ruin us, you instead used it to get Sawada’s head out of his ass.”

She sighed. “I’m not going to officially invite you.”

He frowned slightly.

“But I’ll tell the girls to plan for party crashers.” She said getting a grin.

She wouldn’t say she had a good time. But it was a nice reprieve from the crazy that was her every day life. He even dropped her off at her door with a grin and promise to abduct her for another dance sometime.

She rolled her eyes and slipped into her darkened house. She was all for putting the odd incident behind her as she slunk up to her room to get some sleep. But she did tell Sayuri to plan for having the Vongola maybe crashing the twins’ birthday party.

When the party did roll around, Haru just smiled at the exasperated look Yamamoto gave her as Tsuna and the others showed up. She waved off his apology and just pointed at the grinning Belphegor. That was enough, and Yamamoto left to go see his godchildren with a grin.

“I didn’t know you had children.” Tsuna said with a frown after apologizing for them dropping in on the party.

“That’s sort of the point.” She said as she sent a displeased look towards Belphegor. The prince even invited the rest of the Varia command along.

“How?” Tsuna asked and she shook her head.

“I’ll tell you later. Right now, I have to save a group of assassins from a pair of three-year-olds.” She said pointing to the soon to be chaos as Belphegor cuddled Hikaru who was hiding in his jacket.

“Kaa-san!!” Hotaru called turning to her with her tiny fists on her hips. The little girl would certainly grow up to be a menace one day, Haru was sure of it.

“Yes Hotaru-chan?” Haru said drifting over coolly eyeing a smirking Xanxus as he lounged on a couch.

“Behold!” Hotaru exclaimed motioning to a grinning Squalo who had probably been picking on her. “Mama Squall!”

There was a moment of utter silence as everyone turned to the gaping Varia second in command. Then Xanxus started roaring with laughter as Hotaru stood unfazed by the darkening look on the swordsman’s face. Instead the little girl grinned as her brother giggled softly into the folds of Belphegor’s shirt.

“VOIII!”

“Yes,” Haru said managing to keep a straight face, “I’m acquainted with Mama Squall.”

The laughter reached a new height as Squalo gaped at her.

“Mama Squall is a poopy face.” Hotaru continued with all the seriousness of a three-year-old. “He picks on Hotaru-chan for being a girl, desu.”

“That will happen sometimes.” Haru nodded just as seriously. “Not all people like girls.”

“Is that why Mama Squall is married to Papa Sans?” Hotaru asked blinking innocently up at her.

“NOW WAIT A MINUTE!!” Squalo roared.

Haru calmly kept her poise, “Yes.”

“What was that trash?” Xanxus said suddenly cutting off his laughter to glare at her.

“Mama Squall and Papa Sans took care of Uncle Bel when he was little.” Hotaru reasoned still with all the seriousness of a child. “That means Mama Squall and Papa Sans are married.”

“That makes perfectly logical sense to me.” Haru said with a nod as she crossed her arms.

“WE’ER NOT MARRIED!!” Squalo threw up his hands while Belphegor tilted his head.

“No, no, I see where they’re coming from. It makes perfect sense.” Belphegor said while Hikaru nodded his little head from where he was hidden.

“Don’t you start as well, trash.” Xanxus growled to his Storm who just shot back a shit eating grin.

“You two would make a wonderful couple.” Lussuria decided, making his Sky sputter.

“No.” Xanxus snapped looking like he was on the verge of some very colorful language but carefully refrained.

Suddenly there was a swirl of Mist Flames that cut off the conversation.

“We have arrived.” Fran said blankly in a dramatic pose with Chrome and the rest of the Kokuyo Gang.

“NII-SAN!!” Her two little hellions exclaimed. Hikaru carefully climbed off Belphegor to join his sister in rushing the younger Mist.

“Little imps.” Fran said with a faint smile as he held them close, so they didn’t fall as they tried to climb on top of him. “How are the birthday imps?”

“Mama Squall is a big meanie.” Hikaru said seriously.

“We don’t know why Papa Sans married him.” Hotaru nodded just as seriously.

“WE’RE NOT MARRIED!” Squalo and Xanxus snapped.

“They are in de-ni-al.” Hikaru said slowly sounding out the new word he had been carefully learning for the past week. Haru cursed her girls for constantly using it around her babies for them to pick it up.

“Clearly.” Fran said with a nod.

“Nii-san magic!” Hotaru suddenly said clapping her hands together.

“Yes, Nii-san, make magic.” Hikaru said with wide pleading eyes.

“What type of magic?” Fran asked with a pleased smirk.

“Tuna fish in dress!” The twins cheered pointing at Tsuna who suddenly looked like a deer that got caught in front of headlights.

The next hour boiled down into a Mist competition. Mukuro, Chrome, Fran, and even Mammon all tried to impress the twins with their illusions. Mukuro grumbled that the twins were biased because no matter what they liked their Nii-san’s illusions best, though they really did enjoy a few of the other illusions as well.

Haru didn’t even notice that someone had put Belphegor’s crown on her head until after the cake and ice cream as well as the presents. Instead she just stood off to the side carefully watching everyone but being a proud mother all the same. Even Hibari made an appearance though he didn’t stay long and left before Mukuro spotted him.

It was honestly nice after the last few weeks, to have her friends there. She still managed to dodge Tsuna’s questions about where the twins came from though. Which in her opinion, was even more of an accomplishment than watching the Varia try to play pin the tail on the donkey to the pleas of her children’s laughter.


	29. Haru Requires a Nap

The twenty-ninth time she stole his crown, she hadn’t slept in forty-eight hours.

It started after she got off work and had finally managed to get some sleep. She perhaps only caught two hours before she was woken to the sound of demanding banging on her front door. She was just about to roll back over and let Keiko deal with it.

“Onee-san!!” Keiko yelled sounding frantic. “Onee-san! Come quick!!”

Haru knew that tone in her subordinate’s voice. The sharp nearly hysterical tone in the command was something Haru only heard once. It was back when the Maboroshi were just out of training and a group was ambushed.

They lost nearly two teams as Haru frantically used her at the time subpar medical knowledge to try and save them all. It ended with four fatalities and three girls with debilitating injures. The three were still part of the Maboroshi but now happily took care of deskwork.

Haru was out of bed and taking the steps two at a time before she was fully awake. She hadn’t even tossed on her robe, so she hit the landing barefooted and wearing only her large blue button-down nightshirt. The scene that greeted her instantly woke her up faster than a cup of coffee.

“What happened?” She demanded as she rushed over to her couch where Hibari lay bleeding out.

“There’s been increased activity with the smaller local gangs.” Kusakabe reported as he stood off to the side applying pressure to a red stain on his shoulder. “The Chairman went to deal with a disturbance but was overwhelmed. They had automatic rifles.”

Haru cursed turning to her worried subordinate. “Go down stairs and get me the blue emergency bag as well as four bags of O-Negative and three bags of saline, stat!”  
Keiko didn’t hesitate to simply vanish.

Haru in the meantime began running through her checks. She cursed that she didn’t have her proper equipment, even if it was a few seconds away. But she easily found his weak pulse and she used the clock she had in the room to get his blood pressure while checking anything else she could.

“Has there been any change to his medical history recently?” She demanded of Kusakabe who stood well out of the way but watched her intently.

“No, he’s records are still up to date.” The man said probably already knowing she constantly checked up on all of them anytime they passed through her halls.

Haru almost sighed as Keiko dropped the bag she asked for down next to her knee. She quickly dug out a pair of scissors and began cutting away at the Cloud’s clothes. She could tell even before fully examining him that his Flames were having difficulty keeping him alive, likely a Flame suppressant was used somehow.

Haru paused only once to write down a specific list of what she would need from her stores before handing it to Keiko.

“I need those yesterday.” She said before pausing. “But be very careful to not mix them up. Some of those won’t react well if we don’t use them properly.”

“Understood Onee-san.” Keiko said before disappearing again.

Haru didn’t even have to say anything as another of her girls suddenly appeared to hold the IV and blood bags. She was also only vaguely aware that another of her girls suddenly appeared with the proper stand for the bags. Instead she was in full emergency mode as she quickly located all the bullet wounds that dotted her friend’s torso.

She would have liked to move him down to the surgical bay she had in the basement. But she could tell by how quickly his blood was staining her couch she didn’t have much time. She figured he severed at least one major vessel and she would have to operate on site.

She didn’t even have time to do more than put on a pair of gloves and coat her arms in iodine as she set to work. Luckily, she had her handheld ultrasound and mini X-ray device that Verde made for her. It made locating the bullets that were still lodged into him much easier as well as gave her a clearer view of what sort of mess she would be dealing with.

It took eight almost nine long hours to patch up all the holes and get him stabilized. Partway through she even had to ask one of her girls to go down to get more blood for another transfusion. But he was a fighter as he always had been, and it wasn’t long before she was moving him to her guest room that had a major remodel while she worked.

Two of her girls were posted to make sure he remained stabled, both trained in enough medicine they could qualify as nurses. One had even patched up Kusakabe who was next on Haru’s list of patients because the bullet wound to his shoulder needed to be looked at. By the time she was done he happily took a seat as he waited for his boss to wake up while he gave orders to the rest of the Disciplinary Committee via texts.

She was shaking when she finally got to sit down and look at her bloodstained nightshirt. Her couch was a complete loss at that point, but Kusakabe assured her they would deliver her a new one. It still took her a long minute before she could start washing the blood off.

This stress was the burden she chose for herself. She went into medicine because she wanted to be able to patch up her friends if they ever needed it. But she really wished her hands would stop shaking now that the danger had passed.

She went to take a long calming bath to get her nerves to settle. But after she got out her kids demanded her attention as they peered in to check on their Uncle Kyoya. Hikaru was especially displeased because he looked up to the man who promised to make him a carnivore one day.

After entertaining her babies and getting dinner ready for herself and the rest of her household, she barely had time to get ready for work. She wondered if she could check the records to see if Hibari’s enemies were being observed among the beds at the hospital. It took a great deal of effort to push that thought aside as she downed nearly four large mugs of coffee to keep her going for the rest of the night.

She didn’t find the people responsible for Hibari, but her job was still very demanding as the emergency room was suddenly swamped. She even had to call in another two surgeons to help with a van load of injured drunkards that crashed. Haru found herself almost high off the adrenaline naturally coursing through her system as she focused all her energy on seeing the chaos in the emergency department was sorted.

She would have liked to drag herself home after work to crash. By then the coffee and adrenaline was taking its toll and she just about passed out at her desk as she filled out the last bit of her paperwork for the night. But she had a meeting with Beijing and Fon almost as soon as she clocked out so reluctantly she downed another cup of coffee that was so over brewed it was practically sludge.

“You look like you got hit by a bus.” Beijing greeted her as soon as she got to the meeting room.

“I wish I was.” She said back before flopping down. “Please say this doesn’t require too much high cognitive ability. It was a bad night at the hospital and Kyo-Kyo needed me to patch him up before work.”

“It shouldn’t take long.” Fon said with a pleasant smile though his sharp eyes narrowed slightly. “How is Kyoya-kun? I haven’t seen him these past few days.”

“He’s fine. He hasn’t bitten off more than he could chew yet.” She said with a sigh because the hourly updates her girls sent said the Cloud was still stable.

Of course, the meeting could have gone better. She chalked it up to her short temper from lack of sleep and Beijing deciding to be an ass. On the plus side Fon informed her after the other man left that the Triads had found another representative for her to liaison with.

Unfortunately, they wouldn’t be getting there for another week.

Haru had then gotten stuck doing more paperwork, this time for Namimori-kai. At least paperwork was something easy and didn’t require too much higher brain function to do. Megumi and Hiroyuki often gave her orders a once over before they were given anyway, in case there was some problem she missed before sending out the troops.

She made it home with just enough time to check on Hibari, who was coming around, and eat something. It was times like this she was blessed to have Sayuri living with her. The Maboroshi General was perhaps the ultimate nanny and never once dropped the ball when it came to caring for the rest of the girls or the twins.

After stuffing her face in record time, she managed to take a quick shower before once again needing to return to the hospital. She was at the point where she barely even tasted the burnt coffee she guzzled down. She was doing fine until her boss took one look at her.

“Miura-sensei.” He snapped almost making her jerk.

“Yes?” She asked blinking at him.

“Go home and get some sleep. You look like you haven’t slept in days.” He said making her gape.

“I’m fine.” She argued.

“I know you are. But tonight, is slow and we can afford to call in one of the others again if we need to. Go home, get some sleep. You won’t be good to anyone if you pass out while trying to operate on someone. I can’t have one of my best surgeons facing liability charges because of a mishap made while you’re exhausted.”

She would have argued more but she found herself being escorted out by security. She even watched her boss sign her out. Instead she shouldered her purse and grumbled as she made it to her car.

As she got behind the wheel she paused. She tried to blink the slight fuzz out of her eyes as she contemplated if she could make it home in one piece. She was about to reach for her phone to call for some form of transportation when she saw something move out of the corner of her eye.

She barely had time to bring up her hand before some sort of string was pressed against her throat. She pushed as hard as she could as she tried to get free. But her attacker had leverage using the back of her seat.

She could feel something warm dripping down from her hand as she finally managed to force the wire far enough away to slip it over her head. She was out of her car and moving even before she registered she was getting away. She didn’t look back as she skidded around a corner and headed for relative safety in the twisting alleyways of Namimori.

She could hear someone chasing after her as she skidded around another corner. She barely noticed the person suddenly in front of her before she slammed into them. She pushed them away and moved to defend herself only to find Belphegor frowning at her.

“What’s the matter, Kitsune?” He asked but she looked over her shoulder when she realized the person in front of her wasn’t a threat.

“Just having a bad day.” She answered even as her pursuer rounded the corner. She was unsurprised to see one of the local gang members. “A long tiring bad day.”

“Need some help?” Belphegor asked with a nasty grin as he pulled out his knives.

She wanted to say she had it. But she was just too tired to do more than sigh. Luckily Belphegor was quick and efficient with the dispatching of her attacker.

She had a feeling she knew why he was after her. Either he realized she was the one Hibari went to for medical help. Or he was part of the group that Joseph recruited.

She closed her eyes only to almost yelp as she found herself swept up like a bride.

“Relax, Kitsune.” Belphegor said taking off. “But we probably shouldn’t be standing around if the police are called.”

She rested her head on his shoulder as he jogged off to somewhere. She closed her eyes again and hadn’t realized she fell asleep until she woke up. When she did she found herself in an unfamiliar room making her shoot into a sitting position.

She looked around for a moment before ripping the covers off herself and heading for the door. She walked out into a hall and was beginning to suspect where she was. It wasn’t only until she got to the end of the hall that she realized she was in a western style manor.

The sound of loud cursing directed her in the direction of some commotion down the steps. She yawned as she hit the landing and moved towards the cursing. She was only slightly surprised to see the whole of the Varia command seated around a table.

“Do you know what time it is?” She grumbled using her fingers to try to fix her messy hair.

“VOI! You’re up girly!” Squalo said making her send him an unimpressed look.

“Why is it these past few encounters have made me question your cognitive ability?” She asked making Belphegor snicker.

“Is that how you express your gratitude?” Levi snorted. “Because you really need to work on that girly. We graciously let you sleep instead of demanding what mess you landed yourself in this time.”

“This time?” She rose an eyebrow. “You make it seem like you’re constantly dragging me out of my messes when I recall it being mostly the other way around.”

“Or you’re dragging one of us along through your mess.” Belphegor said with a grin.

“You haven’t seen the shitstorm that is one of my messes.” She said dully.

“So why were you on the run?” Xanxus asked with a frown.

“I got jumped in my car because nearly forty hours of not sleeping tends to really mess with your judgement abilities?” She asked a bit unsure. “I was sure I locked the doors when I went in for my shift.”

“Forty hours?” Lussuria was suddenly fussing and she blinked taking a step back.

“I’m fine.” She muttered pushing him out of her space. “I’ve survived on less sleep before.”

That was the worse thing to say and she found herself in a medical debate about properly sleeping habits. She barely even noticed when she was practically forced into a vacant chair as she and Lussuria debated whether she should take a vacation. She was perfectly fine and really didn’t have time to take off for herself now.

She could take care of herself, she had been doing so for several years now. Sure, she sometimes collapsed from lack of sleep and stress but that was normal. In her experience adults rarely had time for fun stuff they once had as children.

However, Lussuria seemed convinced she needed an uninterrupted vacation that had nothing to do with work. For some reason being a single mother, surgeon, _and_ a yakuza boss was grounds for a well-deserved vacation in his book. He didn’t even know what sort of chaos would happen if she left her obligations unattended.

She just about cringed when she remembered the glitter incident that one time she took a nap while the twins were set down for their nap.

She was also only vaguely aware of the difference in her food. The slight warmth that had nothing to do with the temperature of the food itself. She barely touched her food unless Mammon prompted her to eat since she was sitting next to the illusionist.

She was wary of Flame infused food.

Her shishou told her about the many times the trick was used on him. How Skies and even a few Elements used it to try and harmonize with his Flames. It was a subtle and gentler way of courting a free Element and one that was used most often when dealing with Clouds.

She wasn’t even sure why Xanxus was so intent on making her his Cloud. She was _busy_ and none of her business was Vongola related. Just because she helped Hibari take over Namimori didn’t mean she worked for the Disciplinary Chairman.

She wasn’t even sure she could take the stress of adding the Varia into her life. Because if she was Xanxus’s Cloud then she would undoubtedly become the Cloud Commander. She could already feel the headache that would cause.

So, she was hesitant with the food and did her best not to choke on it. She would let them believe her debate with Lussuria was the reason she was so on edge. It had nothing to do with her doing her best to ignore the subtly Flames she could feel brush against hers.

By the time dinner was over she was getting dragged home by Belphegor before Lussuria could continue with his tirade about her health.

“Is he always like that?” She huffed as she slumped in the passenger seat.

“He’s a typical Sun.” Belphegor said with a chuckle. “He fusses over all of us.”

She crossed her arms with a sniff. “Well I don’t need him.”

“You know we are very aware that you’re a strong independent woman, right?” He asked with a grin. “He’s just fussing because he’s a bit shaken to realize you’re still human under all the attitude. He insists you and Mammon are the only two he doesn’t have to go out of his way to patch up constantly.”

“He doesn’t need to worry about me.” She insisted only to get pulled into a slight hug when Belphegor wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“He doesn’t.” The prince agreed. “But he does anyway. He’s like that with anyone he deems worthy, so you’ll just have to get used to it.”

“And how did he deem me worthy?” She asked slightly offended.

“You kicked my ass for one.” Belphegor said sounding far more pleased than she figured he ought to be. “He and Squalo are always going on and on about trying to find someone to put me in my place. They’ve been doing that since I was a brat that joined the Varia because I was bored. But I think it’s mostly because you two have a lot in common. Both of you are medics and fashion designers, even if you prefer making costumes.”

“Well when you put it like that.” She grumbled leaning against him for a moment. “But I really don’t know him, and he should know I know what I’m doing most of the time.”

“Kitsune,” Belphegor chuckled, “I’m the only that’s supposed to act like a spoiled two-year-old remember? Just accept Luss will be on your side if you ever need to gang up on us for some medical reason. Not even the boss will go against Luss for most things.”

“Fine.” She sighed before pulling away.

The rest of the drive was spent in pleasant silence. She was still exhausted and couldn’t wait to get home for some more sleep. She almost found herself drifting off as they drove along.

She snapped out of her doze as she realized they were pulling into some place. She blinked tiredly before perking up when she saw her house. Her car was in the driveway signaling one of her girls must have gone to pick it up.

“Did you tell them where I was?” She asked with a frown.

“I called Sayuri-chan after I got back to the manor. I was told under no circumstances you were to take off on your own.” Belphegor said making Haru fight a sigh as she smirked.

“Such a good boy.” She cooed ruffling his hair and snagging his crown.

“Do I get a reward?” He asked with a grin.

“I’ll think about it.” She shot back before hopping out of the car. “Thanks though.”

“No problem.” He said still grinning at her. “Next time just give me a call and I’ll pick you up at work. You didn’t seem awake enough to drive anyway.”

“Ah,” She countered, “but that’s what I have Hiroyuki-kun for.”

She laughed at his pout as she made it to her door. She gave him a friendly wave over her shoulder before he grinned and took off. She hoped the next few days wouldn’t be as bad as the last few.

She really needed to do something about Joseph though. She twirled the crown around her finger as she tried to come up with a plan. In the end she deemed herself too tired and put it off to the side for another time.

She still had a patient to check on and other things to do before she could go back to sleep after all.


	30. It Comes Crashing Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry all, but this chapter was fighting me every step of the way.

The thirtieth time she stole his crown, he butted into her business. She would like to go on record and say she was doing perfectly fine without the assist. But it seemed after getting jumped in her car the Varia were poking their noses where they didn’t belong once again.

It started after she caught up on all her lost sleep. She wasn’t a fool or an idiot. She knew if someone could find her car in the parking lot of her workplace then there was a chance they could find her house as well.

She tasked a small group in finding out the who and how of that matter. But even before they came back with the results she had a feeling she knew. So, she did what she always did when needing to come up with a plan of attack.

She exercised.

Most would probably find that weird, she knew. But her old gymnastic training and the hell course her shishou called “light training” helped her clear her mind. With a clearer mind she was able to come up with some of the best plans she had thus far.

Or that’s what she liked to think.

She started early on the first day she had off from her day job. She already had Hiroyuki and Megumi dealing with the everyday operations of their respective units. Even Sayuri set the day aside so she could watch the twins with Fran so Haru could have the whole day to herself.

Her day started with a long run. A little over forty kilometers long run to be precise. She did a few light stretches and picked a random direction before taking off in the predawn hours.  
She had with her four respectably large water bottles and after a bit of warming up didn’t stop her run until her step counter told her she reached her goal.

While her gymnastics trainer had always been on her and her peers for maintaining their stamina, she didn’t start her opening marathon until after she began training with her shishou. It was perhaps one of the best parts of her workout, especially when she started well before the other local runners. She also always chose a different route every time but made sure to keep some of the terrain the same.

Some days she ran up one of the large hills in Namimori, other times she was running up several flights of stairs. She ran on pavement and cement just as much as she ran on dirt and grass. She also had points where she would slow her pace just slightly, so she could get a drink, and other points where she dug in and powered down her invisible path.

Her destination however was always the same.

It looked like a regular small office building. But on the inside, it was a massive gym, complete with rooms dedicated to weight lifting, or cardio training, or even yoga. There was also a large room where she could do gymnastics and a regulation sized swimming pool.

The Maboroshi owned it but they allowed membership cards to civilians as well. The Maboroshi had a more covert facility where they did their less than legal training. She however never ended up there unless she wanted to take advantage of sparring with her girls or using the inhouse gun range.

The benefit of the gym however was there were a lot of rooms to chose from. Not to mention since she technically owned the place no one batted an eye when she reserved a full room to herself. It allowed her to train to her hearts content in her sports bra and compression shorts.

Even the free trainer she snagged to help spot her as she lifted weights didn’t bat an eye at her scars and tattoos. Then again Tatsuya-kun was one of her Namimori-kai foot soldiers who needed a job to prove to his probation officer he was on the right track. He just smirked at her as she started bench pressing nearly two hundred pounds.

She always found it funny people thought she was weak because she had a slim build. They forgot the amount of training she went through for gymnastics. Her school coach hadn’t emphasized it like her shishou, but she still was lifting weights as soon as she was cleared to do so.

Then again, she loved having a nice padding of healthy body fat. It not only helped her curves but one mission to Amsterdam in winter made her value having enough fat stores to function in extreme conditions. She conceded that could be a factor in why people thought she could barely lift a paperclip since they couldn’t see her athletic build.

She pushed all those thoughts aside to focus on her real problem however.

She knew she had to root out Joseph before innocents got hurt. She wouldn’t put it past the man to kidnap and threaten Nana in some ploy to get to her through Tsuna. She had heard enough stories from Freetown when the man was alive to know his former General was just the type to pull something like that.

She also couldn’t take him at the mansion.

As much as her girls planned and even with the full backing of Namimori-kai. Haru knew she wouldn’t dare send anyone in to the man’s home turf without knowing they would be successful. Just the defenses they had already uncovered proved any frontal attack of that nature would be deadly.

So, as she began sweating she continued working out the problem. Everything from figuring out which local gangs had to be working with the terrorist to how to lure the man into a more controlled environment. She even figured it was time to use her emergency contact for Moscow because really that Russian owed her for this.

She was torn from her planning when the door of the gym she was using opened. She could see it clearly from where she was hanging from her knees on a chin-up bar. She was holding a pair of ten-pound weights and was doing sit ups with a stray thought reminding her she was on eighty-four of a hundred.

She was also curious as to who would barge into her private time at the gym.

She wasn’t expecting the grinning visage of Lussuria. It almost made her twitch as she eyed him before going back to her controlled sit ups. She ignored the intruder to go back to her planning as she counted to a hundred.

Once she finished she relaxed and carefully dropped the weights down on a sandbag she put under her. Then she was bending back up to grab the bar. It was easy for her to flip down as she took a moment to stretch and cool down from the intense exercise.

She went over to her water bottle to take a few sips before dragging a towel over her face, so the sweat wouldn’t get into her eyes. Her arms and abdominal muscles were burning pleasantly in only the way a good workout could cause. But she was already eyeing a set of ladders inlaid in a nearby wall.

The ladder was next to a mirror that ran from ceiling to the floor and all the way down the wall. Attached to the mirror was a dance bar carefully anchored into the wall at certain points. She began stretching her neck as she headed over to the slightly cushioned floor just before the small dance space.

She had brought a pair of ballet shoes with her and she sat down to put them on. She remembered how startled Kyoko was that Haru knew ballet on top of being a gymnast. She pointed out she had to know at least a few of the basics so she wasn’t hurt when doing her floor exercises.

After putting on the shoes she began her stretches. She often found it funny how most thought a gymnast went straight into doing splits rather than doing warmup stretches. Instead she slowly got her legs ready, so she didn’t overextend any of her muscles.

As she did the side-splits on the wall she completely forgot Lussuria was there. Instead she formulated a more solid plan. She smirked as she dropped back into a bend before letting her legs follow her still in a perfect straight splay.

By the time she was finishing her cooling walk after another forty-kilometer run home she knew what she would do. She also knew her minions wouldn’t like her plan. So, she decided to not tell any of them in case they stepped in and got themselves hurt.

She went to bed exhausted and slightly sore but woke up refreshed without an ache to her name. Her first priority was calling Moscow.

“Hello.” He asked sounding slightly tired.

“Moshi-Moshi, sorry if I woke you.” She said with a smirk.

“It’s fine, little sweet. Is there something I can do for you? You don’t use my emergency number often if ever.” He said sounding more alert.

“I just have a friend who decided to overstay his welcome.” She sneered. “Perhaps you remember him. Joseph Kamara, hmm?”

“I’ll be there in a few days.” He simply said before hanging up. She smiled down at her phone and shook her head. Moscow was such a doll sometimes.

With Moscow on his way, Haru knew she only had a handful of hours to lay down some bait. She called Hiroyuki and began arranging a fake business deal with an out of town client. She made sure she would be handling it personally, wanting to make a good impression and all.

Unfortunately, Sayuri knew her too well.

“I don’t know what you’re planning.” The young woman said flipping her long hair over her shoulder. “But if you don’t tell me something, I will have the Maboroshi listening in on all your phone conversations, reading all your emails, and following all of your movements.”

“I have a plan to deal with Joseph.” She said getting a frown and nod from her assistant. “It will cause the fewest casualties, but it also means no Maboroshi or Namimori-kai.”

“You won’t be confronting him by yourself, Onee-san.” Sayuri hissed making her laugh.

“Of course not.” Haru shook her head. “I called in some of my friends in the Organization. I’ll have competent backup.”

“Very well.” Sayuri said relaxing. “But you will be bringing one of our communicators with you. If you need our assistance in anyway we’ll be as close as you will allow.”

Somedays she thought she was in love with the Maboroshi General. The girl was honestly too good to be her subordinate. But Haru wouldn’t trade Sayuri for the world.

The only downside to her plan was the one complications she hated dealing with. She knew Joseph was taking her bait and Hiroyuki was reluctantly going along after he heard the details she was willing to give. But none of that allayed her annoyance when it came to dealing with Beijing.

“So, you admit you need my help?” He asked with a smirk.

“I’m admitting to nothing.” She said coolly as she noticed Fon lurking just around a corner. “I’m just offering you a chance to be backup. Our friend from Russia will be here in two days. After we finish finalizing the details the whole trap is set to be sprung in the next four.”

Beijing frowned before huffing. “Sure, more the merrier right? How’d you track him down anyway? I thought he was lost in the Siberian wilderness.”

“Not lost.” She rolled her eyes. “Busy. Besides I have his emergency contact information. I’m still not sure where I lost yours.”

She left before hearing his response. He would be ready, and she hoped Fon didn’t decide to crash in on things. She hadn’t held onto hope and added a side note to plan for any party crashers.

Moscow showed up on time and Beijing showed up for the final planning meetings. The one thing she liked about those part of the Organization was at the end of the day they were all professionals. Even though she and Beijing were about as agreeable as a pair of Kimono Dragons, they could still work together to complete a goal when tasked with it.

The only downside was Moscow gave her a lecture about not contacting him the moment Joseph was spotted in her territory. It didn’t matter that she was a big girl that could handle her own problems. He was just as responsible in this instance and she would have been able to have dealt with him much sooner if Moscow had been informed.

With everything set, she got ready for a night of chaos.

She put on a special pair of form hugging jeans that were a bit thick in texture. The jeans were made from a bullet resistant material and though the waist was low on her hips she knew her legs would be protected. She also remembered to put on a pair of compression shorts under her jeans because there was nothing more annoying than having her clothes be uncooperative when she was in the heat of a fight.

On that thought she pulled out her best sports bra for the occasion. It was fitted perfectly to her and would ensure her boobs would remain right where she wanted them to be. It also was a bit of a pushup bra which made it idle for her figure but also gave her enough cleavage to hide a few extra small items in case of an emergency.

Over that she wore a skin clinging red turtleneck shirt that was made from a soft flexible material that also happened to be fire and knife resistant. It was the prefect base to have under the black leather vest that was a cleverly disguised bullet resistant vest. Adding her Maboroshi gloves and gauntlets didn’t even take away from the rather fashionable clothes she was now wearing.

The final touches were a pair of stud earrings that kept anyone from noticing the small earpiece as well as doubling as a hidden microphone. Some light makeup to make her appear like she was indeed there for business. And finally, her light tan trench coat that barely hit mid-thigh but helped conceal a few of the more visible weapon holsters she was now wearing.

Checking herself in the mirror she was a little disappointed she didn’t have a fedora. Instead she slipped on a pair of special sunglasses into her pocket and grabbed a concealing helmet. She kissed her twins, fist-bumped Fran, and tossed Sayuri a grin before heading out to a waiting motorcycle.

After revving the engine once, she was down the road and around a corner in no time.

The location of her trap was an out of the way warehouse. It was still close enough to not be too out of place, but the neighboring warehouses were either vacant or rarely attended to. It meant there would be less foot traffic and even fewer ears when the bullets began flying.

Hibari had already informed her that he’d sink any investigation so long as she remembered to clean up after herself properly.

She pulled her bike into the walled off parking lot and found Beijing already there. He appeared to have just turned off his bike as he pulled off his helmet. She smiled as she parked not far from him and did the same.

She had to admit he cut a nice figure in his blue jeans and leather jacket. She could see the hint of a crimson top with a Mandarin collar which oddly went well with his jacket. His hair pulled back tightly in a ponytail and a pair of boots he didn’t look too different from his usual appearance.

“Princess.” He greeted with a smirk as she slipped off her helmet.

“Bastard.” She rolled her eyes. “Are we here first?”

“Seems like it.” He said but nodded his head slightly to a darken corner.

She glanced over as she slipped on her glasses. The night vision display suddenly in front of her eyes let her clearly see Reborn cleverly hidden off to the side. She pressed a small hidden button while seeming adjusting her glasses and the world lit up in dark hues with a few splashes of bright whites.

She counted two other heat signatures she instantly could tell were probably Fon and Mammon. There were also a handful or two other signatures she couldn’t pinpoint. So, she clicked the button again and suddenly the signatures were a different color, two orange, two red, two blue, two green, two yellow, two indigo, and a purple.

She wanted to curse Reborn to hell and back. This was not a Vongola problem and she would very much like to keep it that way. Sometimes she wondered if the Sun Arcobaleno was a control freak.

“How does it look?” Beijing asked with a snort. “From your frown I’d say it’s not good.”

“A small potential complication, nothing more.” She said simply getting a nod from him.

Suddenly another engine caught their attention and she flipped her glasses back to night vision. She smirked seeing the two motorcycles heading towards her. One she easily recognized as Moscow and she had a feeling she knew the other man by his side.

Moscow was dressed similarly to her, though his trench coat was black and made from leather. His long hair was pulled back into a braid that was tossed over his shoulder. Otherwise it was hard to tell if he was armed even though she knew he probably was carrying a small arsenal.

The other man was slim in figure though he stood a respectable six foot. Removing his helmet revealed a boyish face with messy light caramel locks that went well with his olive tan. His hooded blue eyes had a permanent indigo glow that he quickly hid behind a pair of dark lensed glasses.

He had a scruffy five o’clock shadow that went well with the biker outfit he was wearing. The white, dark blue, and green of his outfit making it seem like he had just walked off a racing track. He was also perhaps the only one of them that looked more like an actual biker.

“Well, well, Nicotine, what are you doing here?” She asked with a grin.

“Can’t I drop in on my favorite hot nurse, Morphine?” Athens chuckled in his low tenor.

“You can stalk all the nurses you like. I’m a surgeon after all.” She said trying to stamp down the grin she had.

“My mistake then.” He said putting a hand over his heart. “I’m here to drop in on my favorite sexy surgeon.”

She snorted and shook her head at his antics. Meanwhile Athens smirked as he pulled a cigarette from somewhere and lit it. The chain-smoker then turned to Beijing with a devilish grin.

“Call me china and I swear to all the gods that have been worshiped on this planet I’ll rip you apart with my bare hands.” Beijing deadpanned making Athens chuckle again.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Lei. How’ve you been?”

She could feel Beijing glance at her. “I can’t complain.”

She would have retorted but Moscow started into the warehouse, but not before giving her a brief hug.

“Hey! I want a hug too!” Athens said before almost pouncing on her.

“Hahi! You smell like old cigars!” She shrieked even though she didn’t push him off, instead giving him a brief hug.

“Does this mean I get a hug too?” Beijing teased as Athens almost hopped off her.

“Oh fine,” She grumbled with a sigh.

Athens laughed as Beijing tossed an arm around her shoulders in a half hug before pulling her after Moscow.

“Why are men always so clingy and needy?” She asked even as she let herself get pulled along.

“Because you’re like the perfect mother figure and we’re all little boys at heart.” Athens answered still grinning as he stuffed his hands into the pocket of his leather pants.

“Oedipus much?” She asked raising an eyebrow. “But in all seriousness, what brought you here?”

Athens shrugged. “I had to flee the country for a bit. I figured since I haven’t seen you since last June I might as well see what’s up with you. I was going to track down our favorite American but he’s in a supermax enjoying three free meals and a bed.”

Sometimes Haru thought DC purposely got thrown in jail because it was his kind of hotel. He eventually escaped when he got bored of the gang fighting. But somedays she wondered about his sanity if he thought being in jail was as a vacation.

“Do we want to know what has you on the run?” Beijing asked as they entered the main room where Haru had set up a card table for them. She was kind of glad she had thought to bring a few extra foldout chairs.

“I may or may not have blown up a foreign dignitary’s limo with an RPG.” Athens said with a wicked grin and shrug. “The authorities were rounding up the usual suspects and I’m unfortunately on the list. I didn’t feel like getting interrogated again after the helicopter bust and hopped the borders.”

“How did you get a Pave Hawk anyway?” Moscow asked having already started assembling his favorite semi-automatic rifle.

“Picked her up in Lebanon. She was mostly a carcass but after I got some salvaged parts from Iraq and Kuwait, I fixed her up good. I would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for those meddling kids.” Athens said making Haru snort.

“Meddling kids? Really?” Beijing asked unimpressed.

“Sort of.” Athens shrugged. “The buyer had a few minions that don’t know how to shut their traps. They couldn’t pin anything on me since I technically was just selling salvage.”

“Working salvage with live ammunition.” Moscow pointed out while Haru hid a giggle behind her hand.

“They didn’t know I was behind that part.” Athens defended. “But yea, long story short, I dodged jail time and still got my promised payday. What about you three? Anything new and exciting?”

“The princess over there sucker punched the largest most influential mafia family in the world in the dick.” Beijing said nodding towards Haru. “She got away with it too and their boss is still groveling.”

“You sucker punched the Vongola?” Athens asked turning to her with raised eyebrows. “I know you have balls, Morphine, but damn.”

“There’s more.” Beijing grinned even as Haru kicked him. “What? You must admit you’ve been busy, princess. Even I haven’t caused the levels of chaos you have in a while.”

“Actually, handsome over there is the reason Joseph is being an asshole.” Haru rolled her eyes as she motioned to Moscow. “I was happily taking over the criminal underworld of Namimori without the complication thank you.”

“You still should have called me the moment he showed up, little sweet.” Moscow said with a huff.

“That’s right, that bastard Solomon is sleeping with the worms.” Athens said with a grin. “I wish I was there. That would have been a hell of fun.”

“Well round two is just around the corner.” Haru said having been tapping through the cameras using her gauntlet. Her glasses functioned like a lesser version of the Maboroshi masks and allowed her to watch the video feeds of the cameras her girls had set up earlier.

“Company?” Moscow asked as he finished assembling and loading his last gun.

“Five minutes out.” She said with a nod. “Looks like he took the bait.”

Joseph was at least smart and didn’t storm the warehouse. He and his men surrounded the warehouse and sent a few grenades in before them. The four had already moved away from the ensuing chaos and began moving to take down the small army of assailants.

Moscow was a crack shot that went to high ground on the roof of the warehouse. The few bullets that found their way to him hit an invisible wall that slowed them to an almost crawl. He just had to calmly shift out of the way as he continued to rain down metal from above.

Beijing was a more in your face type of fighter. Sharp green lightning danced down the blades of his favorite twin Kukris. Any bullet that so much as brushed against him seemed to shatter like glass due to the lightning dancing on his skin as well.

Athens was the laughing maniac on his side of warehouse. He had a pair of handguns, but he was more content to stand back and watch his opponents attack each other. The indigo glow of his eyes almost seemed to penetrate the dark lenses of his glasses creating a pair of glowing circles.

Haru stuck to the shadows fondly smiling at her boys, even Beijing. Despite not getting along most of the time, even Haru had to admit she felt protected with Beijing watching her back. She knew the boys felt the same as she ducked in and out of shadows causing their enemies to jump at every sound.

While Haru was more content to slash the necks of her opponents using the blades attached to her favorite guns, they were soon wondering if she would ever run out of ammo. She wasn’t about to tell them that she had yet to fire an actual bullet. Instead a faint purple glow against the grips of her guns made it impossible for her to ever run out of bullets.

Luckily the Vongola had wisely pulled back to a safer distance. She doubted Moscow or even Beijing would hesitate before striking them down. Athens would especially not care who got caught in his little reproduction of some war movie he had going on over in his little corner of the world.

“They have a tank?!” She heard Athens yelp over the communicator they were each wearing.

“A tank? As in an armored vehicle with a large cannon, tank?” Beijing asked sounding impressed.

“Is there another type of tank?” Athens snapped in a huff.

“A gas tank.” Haru offered as she crawled up the corner of the warehouse to get up to where Moscow was.

“Ha, ha, very funny Morphine.” Athens huffed before he started cackling clearly running away from where the tank was rolling into the yard. “This is going to be so much fun.”

“Sanity, it’s me.” She sighed forlornly. “I’m sorry for whatever I did to cause you to leave. But please, I beg you, come back to me. I’ll be good. I’ll provide and nurture you. Spoil you rotten if you want.”

She ignored the way the three others snorted.

“Who want’s the tank?” Beijing asked simply.

“I’m out. Pick a number between one and twenty.” Athens said still snickering.

“Thirteen.” Haru automatically picked.

“Four.” Moscow intoned before there was a loud shot and one of the higher-ranking enemies went down.

“Eighteen.” Beijing grunted as another minion screamed loud enough to be heard without the communicator.

“Eight.” Athens revealed.

“You’re closer handsome.” Haru said as she stood at the edge of the building and firing down on a group trying to flank Beijing.

Moscow moved past her already loading a few more bullets into his rifle. She figured since he had been using an antitank rifle they should have just asked him to take care of it in the first place. But then again, she doubted Athens and Beijing would care to consider that.

Suddenly the air was filled with the loud sound of a propeller and engine. She looked up just in time to start racing from a line of machine gun fire. A respectable sized helicopter was now hovering over her with a mounted spotlight and machine gun tracking her sprint.

She swan-dived off the roof and landed in a roll. The helicopter focusing on her as she heard Moscow take down the tank over the com. She sprinted through a group of Joseph’s men and headed straight for a nearby streetlight in front of her.

She did her best to concentrate and gather her Cloud Flames as she went. She wasn’t the most powerful Cloud out there, but she knew enough tricks to get her by. Most Clouds made the mistake of just propagating muscle mass, they forgot mass didn’t always mean strength.

Despite concentrating her Flames, her muscles only bulged a little. So, she figured it was a surprise as she sprinted almost all the way up the street light before vaulting herself up and towards the helicopter. She twisted and flipped a bit to get in position before her hands snagged one of the landing struts.

The force of her vault threw the balance of the helicopter off enough it began rocking and swirling in the air. But she held on as the pilot regained enough control to pull up a bit to level the machine. She smirked and threaded her feet between her arms to toss her knees over the thick metal she was clinging to.

She was soon crotched near the side door of the small helicopter. Forcing the door open as she avoided the mounted machine gun, it took two shots before she was tossing the pilot and co-pilot into the back. Then she flopped down in the pilot’s seat and fixed the slightly out of control flightpath she was on.

“I got a new toy!” She cheered over the coms as she swung the helicopter around. There was a modified trigger on the flight column and when she pressed it the machine guns came alive.  
“No fair! I wanted the chopper!” Athens yelled, and she could spot him shaking his fist at her from the ground.

“Finders keepers.” She shot back as she gunned down a group of Joseph’s men that were huddled around an armored vehicle with a machine gun mounted on top.

“How many more people do you think he has?” Beijing asked before huffing as she spotted him dodging a grenade. “I would think they would notice the all-out war going on by now.”

“I called in a favor.” She said as she swung the helicopter around. “Even if they’re called they’re writing all this off as a government sanctioned crackdown on a terrorist group.”

“So, we do their dirty work and they get the glory?” Athens asked with a grin. “I can live with that.”

“SAM, Little sweet!” Moscow said making her curse.

She could feel the helicopter shudder as the missile cut through the thin metal. She slammed her feet against the pedals as she felt everything twist violently. The tail-rotor was still functioning but from the way everything was rocking she knew she was going down.

She could feel her flames ignite under her skin as she saw the ground swim in front of her. She put a hand on the control panel and braced herself for the inevitable. But not before jerking the controls one last time so the helicopter pitched up and landed spectacularly on its side.

As she heard the long propellers break up and felt the aluminum skin crunch, her world went black for a bit.

The first time she successfully used Skull’s Undying Body Technique she swore she would never use it again. He didn’t exaggerate how much it hurt to go through. But then there were a few instances where she had to use it to see another day.

She still wished she could propagate the natural pain suppression chemicals in her body to make her numb.

When she woke up she knew two things. One, she broke a significant number of bones and had suffered some third-degree burns. Two, she was perfectly healthy without a scratch as she pulled herself out of the wreckage of the burning helicopter.

“Mother fucker.” She stumbled rubbing her temples as she stumbled. Her clothes were still fine, but she felt like she just crawled out of a crash.

“Are you okay?” A worried voice asked, and she turned to glare at a very concerned Lussuria hovering near her.

“The fuck are you doing here for?” She hissed before wincing. “Sorry. That came out wrong.”

“Don’t mind little sweet.” The smooth low voice of Moscow cut in. “She gets a bit snappy when in pain.”

“Handsome!” She perked up just a bit. “I crashed!”

“I saw.” He said with a nod smirking at her. “Right onto Joseph’s car.”

“I did?” She turned and nearly tripped over her own feet. Luckily Moscow easily reached out and steadied her.

Sure, enough the flaming helicopter was lying on it’s side on top of a very smashed jeep.

“Was he in there?” She asked tilting her head.

“He was the one with the SAM, Morphine.” Athens said bouncing up with a grin.

“You really need to stop dropping heavy machinery on people.” Beijing said shaking his head with a smirk. “They’re not all as durable as I am, princess.”

“You still bleed, bastard.” She pointed out dully making him raise an eyebrow. “Yes, I can demonstrate if you’d like.”

“Please no stabbing.” Beijing almost whined. “You nearly shredded my liver the last time you tried.”

“Wasn’t that the point?” She asked crossing her arms.

“I think we’ve experienced enough liberal uses of violence for tonight.” Moscow said wrapping arm around her shoulders. She could feel him nuzzle her hair as he reminded her, “You still have to call for your cleanup crews, little sweet.”

She felt him shift slightly. She blinked and glanced up as he tightened his hold on her shoulders. Moscow was almost smirking as he calmly twirled a very familiar knife between his fingers.

“Belphegor-san!” She snapped turning to find the blond prince frowning at Moscow and her. “Don’t stab my friends!”

“Yea,” Athens agreed with a large grin, “that’s Morphine’s job.”

Athens yelped as she managed to kick him in the shin.

“Not helping, Nicotine.” She hissed at him even as she sent a text to Sayuri.

He rubbed his shin before grinning. He practically slid up to her as he hit his knees. She raised an eyebrow as he clasped her free hand.

“Morphine, my love,” He purred lowly in Greek making her heart skip a beat, “you know you are my goddess. I will worship you until the ends of time, my love. You’ve hung the stars in my sky.”

“Handsome.” She managed to say flatly.

Moscow hummed still wrapped around her.

“Shoot him for me.” She said simply and could almost feel Moscow smirk against her hair.

Regardless she caught a nine-millimeter appearing out of the corner of her eye. Athens rose his eyebrows as his mouth dropped. Then the maniac dodged with a yelp as Moscow pulled the trigger.

Athens was fine and now distracted from declaring his undying love for her. If she let him, he would have gone on for an hour or more. She wasn’t quite sure if he was ever serious, but she knew for his sake she had to get him to shut up.

Belphegor was already sneering at Moscow.

Luckily in that moment the Maboroshi showed up. She could already hear the appreciative whistle Ryoko-chan gave looking at the chaos Haru and the three boys left. Haru just rolled her eyes and gave the girl a pointed look.

“No worries my lady.” Ryoko said holding her hands up in surrender. “We’ll have everything squared away before the sun rises.”

It took a few minutes to break up the verbal tirade Athens was on to get him and Moscow moving. Beijing was just waiting with an infernal smirk on his face and his hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket. She wondered when she became their babysitter instead of their comrade.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Lussuria said with his hands on his hips.

“Home?” She asked blinking at him. “I really need a nap.”

“And we’re not going to discuss the fact you were just in a helicopter crash?” Lussuria pressed making her eyebrow twitch.

“I’m fine, desu.” She said crossing her arms. “I’ve been through worse.”

“Yea,” Athens said tossing an arm around her shoulders since Moscow was over at his bike. “Morphine here is pretty indestructible. If she’s up and moving she’s fine.”

Haru let Athens tug her towards her bike as he shot Lussuria a grin.

“Trash, where are you going?” Xanxus asked sauntering up with a frown.

“Home.” She said rolling her eyes. “What are you even doing here?”

“Fon said you might need some backup.” Mammon said simply as he frowned at Athens. “But it seems you are doing just fine.”

“Fon-san needs to stop eavesdropping on my conversations.” She said rolling her eyes even as she felt Athens tighten his grip on her. She caught his frown out of the corner of her eye and noticed the way he shifted just a bit like he wanted to push her behind him.

She understood why when she felt his Flames curl possessively against her. She hadn’t even noticed the warm Sky Flames trying to brush against her Flames. She didn’t need to look back as she felt the slight spike in Rain and Lightning Flames to know Moscow and Beijing were probably on edge as well.

She suppressed a sigh. She really didn’t want to get into a pissing contest over who she belonged to. She especially didn’t want to deal with Moscow, who had adopted her as a younger sibling over the years.

She could already feel a cringe forming as she thought of Moscow learning about her thing with Belphegor. She wasn’t even sure what to call her interactions with the Storm Prince yet. But she knew Moscow would not be happy when he learned of it.

“Come on, hot shot.” She said turning and pushing Athens towards his bike. “I’m not letting you stick around and harass the nice Mafia assassins.”

“But harassing the baby assassins is always fun.” Athens whined even as he let her push him.

“Baby assassins?!” Xanxus growled making her sigh as Athens laughed.

Somehow, she managed to get the three moving. The Varia didn’t follow, probably thanks to Ryoko, and she made it home safely. She was unsurprised to see Sayuri had pulled one of the Maboroshi Suns to check them over.

“So, who was the cute blond eyeing Moscow like he was the antichrist?” Athens asked as they sat around the breakfast bar in her kitchen.

“Cute blond?” She asked pausing in taking a bite of the pizza Sayuri left out for them.

“You know. The little Storm?” Athens pressed. “Who is he? Is he single?”

“That’s Belphegor.” Beijing said with a smirk leaning forward a bit. “And he’s infatuated with our princess.”

“I don’t understand why everyone seems to think that.” Haru asked rolling her eyes.

“Have you seen how you two interact?” Beijing said pulling a crown out of somewhere and putting it on her head. “He’s head over heels for you, princess. Too bad he doesn’t have a chance.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” Haru rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t make you any more appealing.”

“Belphegor, hmm?” Moscow asked tilting his head. “They call him Prince the Ripper, yes?”

Haru sighed to herself. “You three aren’t going to leave any time soon.”

“Not a chance.” Athens said with a grin. “I’m totally going to steal him from you. Then we can have a threesome.”

Haru itched to shoot him. Instead she sighed as she plucked the crown off her head. She eyed it with a frown wondering what sort of insanity she was about to face this time.


	31. Playing Catch with the Boys

The thirty-first time she stole his crown, it was Colonnello’s fault. Well, no, it was Ryohei’s and perhaps Athens’s fault. But the catalyst happened to be Colonnello, or really the Arcobaleno in general.

It had been a week since the whole Joseph thing came to a fiery conclusion. She was now used to waking up to find Athens cuddling with her, even though he was supposed to be staying with Moscow at their hotel across town. Since Athens frequently broke in, much to Sayuri’s growing frustration, Moscow and Beijing decided it was an open invitation to camp at her place as well.

Haru had finally told the Maboroshi General to just suck it up because sometimes the boys were no better than whiny toddlers.

Unfortunately, allowing Beijing a piece of floorspace in her guest room somehow meant giving Fon permission to squat at her place as well. The Storm Arcobaleno was supposedly there to keep her and Beijing from killing one another. Instead it was basically a circus with Moscow and Sayuri keeping the peace most of the time.

On the plus side, all the furniture was still intact, and no windows had to be replaced… yet.

Athens nearly got his faced clawed off by Keiko the third morning she woke up to find him hogging her blankets. Keiko had staid the night and was in a rush to get off to her morning classes. Unfortunately for Athens, he wasn’t used to women staking claim to either the toilet or the shower in the morning.

Haru and Sayuri were in stitches as he cowered in a corner apologizing to the very scary young woman holding a butcher’s knife.

Aside from that small incident, everything was running rather smoothly. Beijing only made a few passing comments about sharing a futon with her. And Moscow kept the two idiots in line, so they didn’t enrage the highly trained women that ruled the house.

Fran and Athens got along like a house on fire. Beijing was good with kids. And Moscow remembered to keep all his guns out of the reach of her babies.

The whole mess started one morning as she came in from work.

“Hey Morphine.” Athens greeted as he stood at the stove in a frilly apron she knew Sayuri bought to try and shame these three men. Unfortunately, no one believed Haru when she told them these men were far too loose to have shame.

“Morning.” She said sipping her coffee. “What has you up before noon?”

“Training, of course.” He said with a grin. “Something I notice you’ve been shirking on. What would Boss say?”

“Probably give me a lecture about time management and just because zombies are a thing I shouldn’t be trying to become one.” She said with a snort. “I don’t have time for any serious training.”

“Yea, because you micromanage everything.” Athens said flipping the pancakes he was making as he rolled his eyes. Inside the house he usually kept his sunglasses perched on the top of his head since no one seemed bothered by the obvious indigo glow.

Haru shook her head to clear her thoughts. “I don’t micromanage everything.”

“Uh-huh, I believe you Morphine.” He said shooting her a grin. “You really need to learn how to relax. Want a message? You know I’m certified.”

“A certified man-whore perhaps.” Beijing said walking in with a yawn. “Don’t burn my pancakes.”

“For that, I’ll make them as black as your shriveled-up heart.” Athens said jabbing the spatula he was holding in the general direction of Beijing’s chest. “We both know you’re more likely to have some sexually transmitted disease or infection than I am.”

“He’s got you there.” Haru said smirking over the rim of her coffee cup. “How many baby-mamas are you paying to raise your bastard children?”

“I’d like to say I do know how to have a safe and healthy sex life.” Beijing said sitting down as he rolled his eyes. “ _And_ , I don’t have any children.”

“Surprising.” Moscow said walking in and heading for the coffee pot. “You act like you’ve dealt with kids before.”

“Yea,” Athens said glancing over his shoulder at the Chinese man, “I’m not buying it.”

“Can we not discuss my sex life?” Beijing huffed before raising an eyebrow. “Unless you’re willing to offer up your own experiences for comparison.”

Haru shrugged. “Last person I slept with apparently holds the title of World’s Greatest Hitman. Sadly, that’s seems to be all he’s good at.”

Moscow choked on his coffee while Athens turned her to with his jaw dropped. Beijing blinked at her with both his eyebrows raised. The funniest was Fon who had just walked into the room, he tripped and nearly landed face first against the breakfast bar.

“What?” She raised an eyebrow. “You asked.”

“You slept with Reborn?!” Fon asked recovering first.

“He was being annoying.” She said more interested in how empty her coffee cup was. “I needed something to distract him then send him on his way. It worked and Bianchi-chan even gave me a free pass.”

“You used sex to distract Reborn?” Fon asked blinking at her as if not believing what he was hearing.

“Yep.” She shrugged. “His performance wasn’t even that good. But it got him out of my office, so I could focus on a stabbing victim being brought in.”

“Stabbing what now?” Athens said lowering the spatula still gaping at her.

“Idiot, don’t burn the pancakes.” Beijing hissed making the Grecian Mist snap out of his shock to attend to the food he was cooking.

“Stabbing victim.” Haru repeated as she went over to fill her empty cup of coffee. “He showed up while I was on shift at the hospital and decided to haunt my pitiful little office. Looking back on it, I’m surprised one of the nurses didn’t walk in on us given how busy we were that night.”

There was a long silent pause as all the males in the room eyed her.

“Morphine, my love, have I told you how much of a goddess you are?” Athens said with a growing grin even as he flipped the finished pancakes onto a plate. “If I wasn’t sure you are the lost daughter of Apollo I’d swear you were the glorious embodiment of Aphrodite.”

“Hardly, she’s more like a Valkyrie or Hel.” Moscow said with a sniff.

Beijing snorted, “No. She’s more like Daji or Inari.”

Haru rolled her eyes. “What’s with everyone and comparing me to Kitsune?”

“It fits you perfectly.” Fon said with a smile behind a sleeve.

“That and you operate in a league of your own that we mortals can only idolize.” Athens said with a grin. “Seriously, Morphine, I want to be you when I grow up.”

“You do set quite the high-water mark.” Moscow said with a snort.

Beijing and Fon nodded with smirks.

She rolled her eyes and went back to her coffee.

“So, what has you up before noon anyway?” Beijing asked turning to Athens.

“I was going to spend the day training. Unlike our goddess I do have to keep work to keep my skills sharp.” Athens said with a shrug.

“That’s not a bad idea.” Moscow put in thoughtfully.

“Pity I’m busy today, or I would join you two.” Beijing said with a sigh. “What about you, princess?”

“Sleep.” She said simply. “I got work tonight as well.”

“We totally need to make a day for all of us to spend training.” Athens said plopping down at the breakfast bar with his own plate of pancakes. “We haven’t actually spent a day training together since the last time we were training under Boss.”

Haru hummed in agreement.

“You four were trained by the same person?” Fon asked raising an eyebrow.

“Yes,” Moscow said simply, “though I call him Commander. If I remember right he’s Sheng’s Master and Little Sweet’s Shishou.”

“That’s right.” Beijing said somewhat fondly. “He’s a real piece of work.”

Fon snorted. “I’m almost convinced Colonnello is the one behind your training.”

“Who’s Colonnello?” Athens asked with a frown turning to Haru.

“Rain Arcobaleno.” She answered getting a slow blink before he perked up.

“I know who you’re talking about. The guy in charge of that island the Mafia have, uh, Mafia Land?” Athens said slowly frowning towards the end.

“That’s it.” Beijing said with a smirk.

“He also trained Ryohei.” Haru said with a sigh.

“The Vongola Sun?” Beijing asked getting a nod from her. “Huh, I almost don’t see it.”

“Hey babe,” Athens said turning to Moscow.

“As long as we state why we’re jumping him. We don’t want to cause any strife for Little Sweet.”

“Just don’t cause too much trouble you two.” She said putting her mug into the sink.

“Yes ma’am.” They responded as she headed out the door. Her bed was calling for her and she really didn’t want to know what those two were cooking up.

When she woke up she found that Athens and Moscow did jump Ryohei. According to Moscow they mentioned they learned he was trained by the Arcobaleno Rain and wanted to see what he was capable of. Athens dropped the poor Sun off at the hospital after the two were through with him.

Athens insisted they went easy on the kid. But Haru knew the Organization’s definition of going easy was very different than what normal people, even the mafia, thought as easy. She made a point to check in on Ryohei after she clocked into work.

Turns out he was only stuck at the hospital for observation. They suspected he might have a concussion and aside from a few bruises was perfectly fine. She snorted as she read his file.

“Your friends are EXTREME!” Ryohei cheered happily. “I didn’t even see the long haired one move.”

“They can be a bit quick on their feet.” She said fondly though she suspected Athens might have added in a few illusions.

“I didn’t even sense any Flames.” Ryohei whispered loudly in awe. “I know they have them. I suspected I’d face at least one illusion because that’s what the sunglass guy does. But they promised no Flames and still tossed me around like a rag doll.”

On second thought, Haru sighed and shook her head.

“You need to train harder if you can’t match them without Flames.” She snorted getting a grin and a thumbs-up from Ryohei. “I mean it, nii-san. You can’t always rely on your Flames to see you through. Sometimes you’ll run into situations where using Flames isn’t ideal.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Haru-chan.” He said grinning happily.

That should have been the end of it. She was sure none of this nonsense would pull her in. But apparently letting Fon know her opinion of how Reborn was in bed wasn’t the best idea.

That and her boys beating Ryohei into the asphalt wasn’t the best move either.

Of course, none of that really mattered until a few days afterwards, when the boys finally got her to train with them. They weren’t even doing anything too extreme. Then again, most would consider them sparring to be a bit extreme.

“Damn it, Morphine! Don’t throw trees!” Athens yelled shaking his fist at her, only to yelp and dodge a grinning Beijing who nearly took off his head.

Moscow snorted having dodged the tree she slung at him. He was almost in her face in under two seconds. But she already was ready, and the knife aimed at her neck was stopped by her slamming her forearm against his wrist.

The rules for the spar were simple. No external use of Flames, meaning she couldn’t propagate weapons but could enhance her strength and speed. The boys had more of a disadvantage even if they used their Flames in creative ways.

Athens disappeared all his wounds almost as soon as they appeared. Beijing was practically impenetrable. While Moscow easily slowed his bleeding and pain responses.

They had been at it a while when she felt the ripple in the air. She noticed Moscow also felt something off as he turned just as she did. She barely caught the glint of something small and metal heading towards her before she had it clasped in her hand.

The bullet would have struck her right between the eyes if she hadn’t caught it.

Glancing over she saw that Moscow was also examining the bullet he likely caught. A glance over her shoulder showed Beijing and Athens also frowning at bullets in their hands. So, she turned her attention to the area around them wondering where the projectiles came from.

She didn’t hear a gunshot, so she peered out into the distance. She was only vaguely aware of the slight burn as her eyes sharpened allowing her to see further than humanly possible. She quickly glanced through the foliage and shadows.

She noticed the glint of the scope a moment before she saw the bullet leaving the barrel with a puff of muzzle flash. She grabbed the knife out of Moscow’s hand and launched it with deadly speed and precision right at the scope. Even as the knife left her fingertips, her other hand shot out and easily caught the bullet heading in the direction of Athens who was the furthest away.

She wasn’t sure if the sniper realized the knife was heading straight towards them. But she watched the blonde rear back when the main lens of his scope was shattered. It was only then she realized the person shooting at them was Colonnello.

“Little Sweet?” Moscow asked as she snorted.

“Colonnello.” She answered getting an annoyed huff from her Russian.

“Here,” Athens said handing her an extra pair of sunglasses he had, “your eyes are purple.”

She sighed as she put them on. Her eyes wouldn’t be turning to normal for a while. It was one of the reasons she hated using her propagation ability on delicate structures, they took a while to return to normal unless she wanted to permanently damage whatever she was enhancing.

“Should we go hunt him down?” Beijing asked with a frown. “He did fire on us.”

Haru looked at the other two before she shrugged.

“Lets.” Moscow said with a frown. “At least so I can get my knife back.”

“You and your weapons.” Athens said rolling his eyes with a grin. But they still took off in the direction of the still cursing Rain Arcobaleno.

They were on the blond before he realized they were even headed towards him. He just looked up and his eyes widened as he saw Moscow nearly landing on him. The blond scrambled back even as Moscow calmly stalked towards him.

“My knife.” Moscow demanded holding out his hand.

“Uh.” Colonnello said blinking up at the Russian.

Beijing snorted as he landed at Colonnello’s side making the sniper flinch slightly. Haru landed on his other side as Beijing pulled the knife out of the scope.

“Hey!” Colonnello yelled before cursing. “You owe me a new scope!”

“We owe you jack shit.” Athens said bracing his folded arms against Colonnello’s shoulders.

The shocked look on the frozen Rain’s face was enough to make Haru stifle a giggle behind her hand.

“You were the one to fire on us first.” Beijing said pleasantly as he crossed his arms after handing the knife to Moscow. “A little property damage is rather justifiable I think.”

She watched Colonnello swallow thickly as he tightened his grip on his anti-tank gun.

Athens nuzzled his neck with a devilish smirk before darkly purring, “Your fear smells delicious, sweetheart.”

It was funny how Colonnello seemed to pale and blush at the same time. Then again, she supposed she would be nervous if she found herself surrounded by the people she just tried to assault. Of course, Shishou would have her hide if he ever found out she let herself be put in such a situation without a backup plan at least.

“So Colonnello-chan,” She purred pleasantly trying to dampen her amusement, “what do we owe this little wrinkle in our day?”

Colonnello glanced at her for a brief second as he tried to keep all four of them in his sights. It wasn’t working judging by how he flinched when Athens draped an arm over his shoulder. Haru wondered if she was the only one of the four to find the Rain Arcobaleno amusing or if her growing sadism finally hit an all-time low.

“Reborn,” Colonnello squeaked before clearing his throat, “Reborn mentioned he wanted to see what you four were capable of.”

“Did he now?” Beijing asked with a ring of dark amusement to his low voice.

Moscow raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “Is he paying you, or were you too foolish to ask for compensation?”

Colonnello’s faced colored at the suggestion. Haru was certain this was more of a bragging rights thing than an actual job. She did know about the rivalry between the Rain and Sun Arcobaleno after all.

“Awe,” Athens cooed toying with a few strands of Colonnello’s hair, “aren’t you adorable. Can I keep you? I like adorable blondes.”

Colonnello gave a strangled squeak as he aborted a jerk. Haru was pretty sure he wanted to slam the butt of his gun against Athens’s face. She really tried to stifle her laugh with her hand but didn’t quite manage as a giggle escaped.

Colonnello’s eyes got as wide as saucers when Athens smirked and planted a kiss firmly against his neck, right where the Rain’s pulse would be. Before Colonnello could react, Moscow stepped forward and smoothly took the gun out of the Rain’s limp fingers. It left the blond grasping at the air like he was searching for a lost comfort object.

Colonnello recovered by forcing himself to stumble forward and twirl around to point at Athens.

“Did you just kiss me, kora?!” Colonnello demanded while Athens smirked at him.

“What’s the matter, sweetheart? Afraid of a little attention?” Athens challenged with a devil may care grin. Colonnello gaped as Athens sauntered into his personal space. “You want to know what we’re capable of, right? I’d be more than happy to show you exactly how capable I am.”

“Please don’t rape him in my presence.” Haru rolled her eyes. “I know you’re jealous but there are better ways of getting what you want.”

“It’s not rape if he consents.” Athens pouted at her. “Besides, don’t you think we deserve a show?”

Haru noticed how Colonnello inched around the Mist.

“I don’t know.” She glanced at Beijing. “Do you think he’s attractive enough to be a porn star? He’s a bit on the skinny side.”

Beijing snorted, “Perhaps. Maybe we should offer up Dmitri instead.”

Moscow raised an eyebrow. “I know you find me attractive, but I will not be used for your amusement.”

As the three men began arguing whether they would make good porn stars, Haru watched Colonnello beat a quiet yet hasty retreat. She hid a smile behind her hand before turning to jump into the conversation. In all honesty they each had their merits, so it was a toss up as to whether they’d look good on camera or not.

The next day, Haru liberated the antitank gun from Moscow and headed over to Tsuna’s. She figured if Colonnello was laying low, he would be there. If for nothing more than to annoy Reborn.

“Oh! Haru-chan, it’s been a while.” Nana greeted with a smile.

“Hahi, Haru has been busy with school and work, desu.” She said with an apologetic smile. “Is Reborn-chan in? One of his friends left this at Haru’s house yesterday. She doesn’t want them missing it, desu.”

Haru held up the guitar case she was using to hide the very real gun tucked inside.

“He’s in the kitchen with some of his friends. Maybe the friend you’re looking for is there.” Nana said with a smile.

“Thank you, desu.” She said and practically twirled on her way to the kitchen.

As she stepped over the threshold she found Reborn, Colonnello, Lal, Fon, and the Vaira all there with Tsuna nervously seated at the head of the kitchen table.

“Well ain’t this just a party?” She asked with a smirk and a hand on her hip.

“Haru-chan!” Tsuna perked up with a grin upon seeing her. “How’ve you been?”

“Well enough,” She said with a shrug. “I’m trying to figure out how to evict a few ghosts haunting my house but otherwise everything is pretty boring.”

Fon snorted, “I don’t think Sheng would appreciate being compared to a ghost.”

“He rarely appreciates good humor.” She said shaking her head. “It’s rather disappointing.”

“Sheng is staying at your house?” Levi frowned. “I thought you hated him.”

“I do.” She said with a sigh. “But since Dmitri and Jason are staying over I can’t really tell him to get out. It wouldn’t be fair.”

“Dmitri and Jason?” Belphegor frowned.

“Ah, yea, um the guy with the long hair and Russian accent? That’s Dmitri. The sunglass wearing lunatic is Jason.” She said knowing he would get who she was talking about.

“The guy who molested me?” Colonnello asked with a slight squeak as he looked around as if her saying Athens’s name would summon the Mist.

“Yea,” She drawled, “he’s currently passed out on my living room couch. He was being a bastard, so I slipped him enough sleeping pills to knock out an elephant.”

“That’s one way to deal with him I suppose.” Fon said pleasantly hiding his grin behind his sleeve.

“I just don’t want to hear him going on about how I’d make a killer dominatrix if I tied him down again.” She said rolling her eyes before perking up. “Speaking of yesterday!”

“Can we not, kora?” Colonnello pouted glancing at Lal like he was seeking her approval.

“I suppose you don’t want your gun back then.” Haru said holding up the case she was holding. “I mean, I could give it back to Dmitri. He would take good care of it.”

Colonnello lunged forward and had the guitar case out of her hands before she finished speaking. To his credit he did check to make sure the case wouldn’t explode before he popped it open. The relieved smile he wore almost made her giggle as he pulled out his signature gun.

“What would you have done if he wasn’t here?” Xanxus asked raising an eyebrow at her.

“Why,” She began with a wicked smirk, “give it to Reborn-chan of course.”

“You wouldn’t have.” Colonnello said in horror while Reborn smirked.

“You did sort of fire on me without due cause.” She said raising an eyebrow. “Be glad I was paying enough attention to catch the bullet. I really don’t like using my Flames to repair physical damage. It hurts.”

“You did what?!” Squalo asked sitting up.

“Reborn asked.” Colonnello said pointing at the now frowning hitman.

“Reborn.” Tsuna groaned sending the Sun Arcobaleno an exasperated look.

“I merely wished to test how powerful our ally is.” Reborn said with a bit of a sniff.

Haru studied him for a minute before turning to Fon with an unimpressed look.

“That’s the last time I tell you anything.” She said making Fon blink at her startled.

“What makes you think I had any part of this?” Fon asked while Reborn suddenly smirked again.

“I can think of only one reason Reborn-chan would be pouting like an offended child.” Haru said making Fon pout.

“I just said you weren’t impressed.” He defended himself making Haru fight down a snort.

“And that’s the truth.” She admitted with a hand on her hip. “But you teasing him over his failings isn’t exactly just saying something.”

“Wait, what?” Reborn gaped at her and she just shrugged.

“For how much people talk up your reputation, you’re sadly didn’t deliver. It was highly disappointing.” She said simply making Fon chuckle into his sleeve. “I’m not sure what Bianchi-chan sees in you, but clearly that isn’t it.”

“What are you three talking about?” Tsuna asked looking so very confused.

“Reborn decided to annoy Haru-san at work.” Fon said sounding amused. “To distract him, she slept with him and sent him on his way. She wasn’t impressed with his intimate abilities.”

There was sputtering from around the table while Lal gave her an appreciative once over. She ignored the way Reborn was glaring at her and Fon. Meanwhile Fon was happily grinning behind his sleeve, looking far more like a pleased Hibari than his usual pleasant self.

“Reborn-chan’s failings aside.” She said turning to Tsuna who was still gaping at her. “I actually was hoping you’d be here. I was wondering something.”

“What?” Tsuna asked blinking at her.

“Were you there a week back when I had that unfortunate incident with the helicopter?” She asked with a frown. That had been something that had been bothering her for a while now.

“Uh, no. I know Gokudera, Chrome, Ryohei, and Yamamoto went. I also heard Hibari was in the area, but I was busy watching the kids at home.” Tsuna said looking a bit faint.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t say that.” She said with a sigh as she ran her hand through her bangs. “Okay, well I better be going. I promised Dmitri I’d meet up with him at the range.”

“Seriously? You’re going to drop that bomb on us and take off?” Squalo asked and she raised an eyebrow.

“What bomb?” She asked tilting her head. She absently noticed she was running her fingers through Belphegor’s hair keeping him calm. She didn’t even realize she was standing next to him.

“The whole sleeping with _him_ thing?” Mammon said motioning to Reborn.

“Oh that.” She said dully. “It’s just easier to seduce someone to get them to shut up. It’s nothing personal and I’ve done it a few times now. The fact it was Reborn-chan being an annoying ass really doesn’t make it any different. The only down side is usually I get some enjoyment out of it. That time it was about as interesting as a failed business transaction.”

She ignored how a few couldn’t quite suppress their snorts of amusement.

“Besides, it won’t happen again. Bianchi-chan is rather possessive and quite frankly I’m not really interested anyway. So, I don’t see a problem.” She said with a shrug.

The only problem was Reborn glaring at her, which she easily ignored.

“You really need to tone down the living dangerous thing, darling.” Lussuria said with a fond smile. “You make the rest of us look bad.”

She shrugged, “Not my fault you play it safe. Now if you’d excuse me, I have stuff to do today.”

She was on her way out of the door with a smirk. She wondered when Belphegor would snap out of his daze enough to really let the conversation they just had sink in. She also wondered if it would be around that time he realized she now had his crown again.

It was almost enough for her to not tell Athens where he could find Colonnello. But, she knew a bit of petty revenge could go a long way. She pulled out her phone and sent the Mist a text with a wicked smirk on her face.

Athens should be waking up soon anyway.


	32. When Cuddles are Required

The thirty-second time she stole his crown, she needed cuddles. When she first saw two orange signatures in the Flame Camera of her glasses she had hoped it was Tsuna. On one hand he was doing well at admitting women could be just as badass as men, while on the other hand he still tended to get his boxers in a twist if the women involved happened to be associated with him.

At the very least she could handle him fussing because she got into a helicopter crash.

The fact that the Sky attracted to her location wasn’t Tsuna meant a whole different can of worms. She honestly didn’t understand what was so appealing about her, but she did have a few Skies that couldn’t understand the word no. So far, the only Sky she actually sort of liked was Xanxus and it had nothing to do with the warm slightly chaotic Flames he had.

It took her all an afternoon to track down the new Sky lurking about. They were indeed lurking. She doubted they wanted to draw the attention of the Vongola after all.

The Sky in question was Cassandra Braxton, the upcoming Donna of the Belmont Family of France.

Haru first encountered her when she sent some of her people to stalk Kyoko. Haru sent them home with a pleasant warning about staying away from her friend. Unfortunately, that just invited Cassandra to Namimori to scope out her competition for herself.

Haru confronted her of course but that incident caused a shift in Cassandra’s attention. Instead of seeing what her competition in marrying Tsuna might be, it turned into a campaign to get Haru on her side. Almost every summer and throughout the year Haru was either getting visits or letters from Cassandra.

The past two years Cassandra had been a bit quiet and Haru was hoping she finally gave up.

Instead Haru had a surveillance photo of the stately blond with her curly hair at one of Haru’s favorite cake shops. Haru had just about torn the picture in half as soon as she saw it. Instead she hissed to herself and tossed it on the table before going for a walk.

Haru had never thought she was a Cloud until she met Cassandra.

Just seeing her picture caused her hackles to rise and a deep almost animalistic urge to well up in her to tear something apart. Cassandra had already tried to corner her a few times. It was worse than Xanxus and the limo, which she was still slightly displeased about.

It was perhaps because she was thinking of Xanxus that made her feet turn her toward the mansion the Varia had. She still took a few hours to meander that way as she stuck to the shadows and sneered at any movement around her. She wanted nothing more than to hunt down Cassandra and rip her to shreds.

But she didn’t think brutally killing a foreigner would do well for her.

It was near midnight when she saw the mansion in view. She had come in from the wooded area meaning she basically sauntered through their backyard. She paused to look at the mansion and could almost feel the group of Flames resting inside.

The Varia hadn’t left back for Italy since showing up it seemed. She took a breath and began pacing at the edge of the property. She wasn’t sure why she was there, but she really didn’t want to leave either.

Just thinking of going back into the city meant the possibility of running into Cassandra.

Deciding since she was there she might as well try and steal Belphegor’s crown. She didn’t really have a plan, but she sauntered up to the mansion. It was rather easy to deactivate the security system and she half wondered if the disconnect would set off an alarm to wake them.

Instead the mansion remained quiet as she almost jumped up and snagged the windowsill she knew led to Belphegor’s room. She pulled herself up onto the sill and peered in through the glass to the darkened room. Almost absently she let her Flames concentrate into her eyes and the darkened room slowly brightened so she could see the shapes inside clearly.

She could see him sprawled on the western bed and the glint of the crown in the moonlight. She slipped a knife out from her shoe and broke the lock, so she could slip into the room. She absently took off her shoes and left them below the window as she slipped further into the room.

On silent feet she prowled forward and hopped onto the footboard of the western bed. She balanced on her toes as she crouched down and rested her elbows on her knees. Resting her chin on her folded hands she paused and just looked down at him.

Even in the dull light she could make out his features as he softly snored away. She was surprised that just seeing him somehow calmed the irritation she had knowing Cassandra was in her town. She absently wondered if she could sick Hibari on her and leave it at that.

She wasn’t sure what woke him, maybe the slight whistle of the now broken window, but she noticed when he jerked awake. She watched as he sat up a bit almost staring at her. Then she flinched slightly as his hand darted over and snagged the chain that turned on the lamb resting on the side table.

“Kitsune?” He asked as she blinked away the sudden pain the light brought her. “What are you doing here?”

She tilted her head trying to think of a response before looking away with a huff. The calm she was slowly regaining was suddenly out the window as she jumped back onto her feet. She really tried not thinking of her nemesis now lurking where her people were as she began pacing again.

She absently heard him toss back the covers and his soft footsteps as he headed over to her. She turned to continue pacing only to find him standing there in a pair of pajama pants as he held out an arm in her path. He almost seemed nervous as he waited to see what she was going to do.

She surprised herself as she stopped and dropped her head against his chest with a sigh.

“Hey,” He said softly carefully resting his hands on her shoulders, “what’s wrong, Kitsune?”

She really tried to hold back the slight sniffle, but it escaped between her clenched teeth. After the past few weeks all she wanted was a break. She knew Cassandra being there meant she was in for another long week of highs and lows, probably more lows than highs as well.

She pushed herself against him and wrapped her arms around his chest. She didn’t try to squeeze the life out of him, but she did lock her hands against her arms. It would probably take a crowbar to get her to let him go as she closed her eyes against the sudden their sudden sting and burred her face against him.

“Haru?” He asked softly before she felt his arms wrap around her.

“Just,” She hissed in a shuddered breath, “just shut up.”

“Okay.” He said pulling her closer.

She wasn’t sure how long they stood there like that. But he gently began tugging her somewhere and she really didn’t have the strength to protest. She found herself being pulled down into his lap as he almost flopped onto the edge of the bed.

Instead she focused on how warm he felt and the way he absently began running his fingers through her hair. Maybe it was the stress, but she found herself slowly being lulled into a daze. She distantly wondered when she decided he felt as safe to her as Moscow or Yamamoto.

She knew she considered him a friend. But she wished she still had that little voice in the back of her head warning her about very real knives and very real Storm Flames. Instead she curled up against him and mentally cursed herself as she felt some tears escape from her tight control.

He hummed lowly as he rubbed a hand down her back, “It’s okay to cry if you need to. The prince won’t tell.”

She felt her lip twitch slightly upward, but it let a small sob escape. The first sob was all it took for her control to shatter. And she hated herself for it.

Crying had always reminded her of those days in middle school before her dad died. Gokudera was always on her case about being a cry baby back then. But after her dad died, after she survived, after everything, crying had a new meaning she wasn’t quite sure about anymore.

Crying was for when she lost her most precious people. Crying was for those days when all she wanted to do was pull the trigger as she held a gun to her head. Crying was for only the darkest of moments, not some little upset that she could deal with.

She hadn’t really cried over something small in a long time. She usually pushed her frustrations and pain aside to focus on the next task. There was always something else that needed her attention and crying wasn’t going to fix things.

Yet for some reason, when Belphegor told her it was okay, she couldn’t help the shuttering breaths and near silent hiccups. She tried her best to dampen her sniffles as she tried to ignore the hot tracks of tears. It was almost as jarring as the time he apologized by leaving her his crown just before the whole big reveal of her being the Namimori-kai boss.

As her sniffles tapered off and her tears dried she noticed he had dragged her onto the bed. She was now tucked safely against him as they lay on their sides. She could feel her legs tangled in his as he held her close with a hand firmly wrapped around her and resting on her back.

Her hands were curled against his chest as she used a curled finger to wipe away the last bits of moister clinging to her eyelashes.

“Feeling better?” He asked, and she peered up a bit to see his head propped up with his free arm. He wore a frown and his bangs were swept to one side revealing one of his eyes.

“Not really.” She said almost choking on a sudden hiccup. “’m tired and my head’s all stuffy.”

He’s smirk was far smaller and softer than his usual grin.

“Then get some rest.” He said pausing to look over at something. “It’s almost two in the morning, Kitsune.”

She felt a small groan escape the back of her throat. “I probably should be going home instead. Sayuri-chan will be shitting kittens right about now.”

“How long have you been MIA?” He asked with a frown making her shrug.

“A few hours, since four this afternoon at least.” She admitted before sighing and snuggling closer to him. “Don’t wanna go though.”

“I got Sayuri-chan’s number.” He said before he moved slightly making her grunt in protest. He chuckled as he quickly repositioned himself almost back to where he was. “Think she’ll get a text at this time of night.”

“If not her, Megumi-chan will be keeping an eye on her phone in case I call.” Haru said with a yawn.

“Here.” He said rolling over, so he was on his back.

She hummed in protest until he practically dragged her over, so she was almost sprawled on top of him. Her head was resting comfortably on his chest as she felt his arm wrap around her waist. She still had to wiggle a little to get in a slightly more comfortable position but soon she was sighing as she rested her head down.

She tiredly noted his heartbeat was slightly elevated, but it wasn’t something she thought was overly concerning. His breathing was steady, and she could almost hear how smooth each breath was as it entered and exited his lungs. She also noted his skin was flushed with a slight warmth as she rested her cheek against him.

Her mind began providing her with lists of possible causes, from him having a slight illness to his body naturally responding to the fact he was in such a compromising situation.

“Kitsune.” He said sounding rather far away as she began drifting off to her mind mentally running through diagnostic procedures.

She wanted to say something, but it came out more as a hum.

“What had you so upset anyway?” He asked sounding slightly clearer but still fuzzy to her exhausted mind.

“Was nothing.” She managed to respond. “Just, a stupid Sky,” she paused as she yawned, “that’s been trying to force me to bond with her.”

“Does this Sky have a name?” He asked his voice growing a bit tense all of a sudden.

“Sandra,” she muttered, “she’s part of the Belmont, she’s French.”

“I see.” He huffed. “Well get some sleep. I’ll let Sayuri-chan and the other girls know where you are.”

“M’kay, g’night.” She said as her eyes drifted shut.

“Good night, Kitsune.” She heard him say and it almost felt like he patted her hair before she drifted off fully.

She woke up still curled against Belphegor. Only he was on his cellphone from the sounds of it. His voice hushed low as if not to wake her as she practically snuggled against him like he was a body pillow.

“Keep it down, shitty shark. You’ll wake Kitsune.” He hissed as if she could hear Squalo over the phone.

“VOI!!” The tiny voice of Squalo cut through the silence. “Don’t tell me what to do, shitty prince!”

On second thought, perhaps Belphegor was on to something.

“Just be glad you got to stay home and cuddle with your gal while we do all the hard work!”

Before Belphegor could respond she snagged his phone. She ignored how he jerked knowing he was just startled. Instead she put the phone to her ear and growled lowly in the coldest voice she could manage.

“Where are you? I’d like very much to rip out your vocal cords right about now.” She hissed, and she was only slightly pleased by sudden yelp and what sounded like a crash over the phone.  
She could faintly hear the worried voice of Lussuria lecturing Squalo about tripping off buildings.

“While that sounds wonderfully sadistic,” Belphegor said plucking the phone from her hand with a grin, “we still need him to be able to speak for now.”

“There are other ways to communicate.” She pointed out. “Morse code. Body language. Smoke signals.”

Belphegor snickered as she paused to yawn and stretch. His snickering was cut off by a huff as she flopped back down on him. He said nothing as she once again got comfortable and he even began running his fingers through her hair.

If she were a cat she would be purring.

“Well when he recovers tell the peasant not to be so loud next time. Kitsune hasn’t had her coffee yet. Not even the prince is suicidal enough to mess with her like that.” Belphegor said into the phone probably talking to Lussuria or someone else. “Whatever. The prince is busy now.”

He hung up and she tried to stifle another yawn.

“Busy?” She asked raising an eyebrow but only able to keep one eye open.

“Sayuri-chan told me to keep an eye on you.” Belphegor said with a grin. “Something about you being more unstable than normal when Cassandra is around.”

“I can’t believe I told you about that.” She groaned burying her face between her arm and his chest. “Why do I get the feeling Squalo-san and Lussuria-san are out because of that?”

Belphegor shrugged to the best of his ability with her sprawled on him. “The boss took an exception to her nosing around where she doesn’t belong.”

She glared at him but that only made his grin widen a bit more.

“I could have handled it.” She pouted.

“You don’t have to you know.” He said with a smirk. “Even if you don’t bond with boss, you’re our gal. Of Sawada’s associates, you’re the only one we can all get along with. Even if we leave you and Levi unsupervised someone will get hurt, that’s a lot better than us having to play nice with some of them.”

She eyed him coolly. “Yet he hasn’t backed off yet.”

“Do you want him to?” Belphegor asked, and she opened her mouth before closing it.

“I,” she tried again before sighing, “don’t know, okay?”

“Then just don’t be surprised that we’ll still try.” Belphegor said with a casual smirk. “Until you decide on outright rejecting the boss as your Sky, you’re still his potential Cloud.”

“And he’ll go after any other Sky that’s after me?” She asked with a challenging raised eyebrow.

“His competition has to know what they’re up against, don’t they?” Belphegor grinned. “And you bring a lot of competition to the table.”

She opened her mouth before she shut it hard enough to hear her teeth click. She wasn’t certain he was talking about the group of Skies that wanted to court her. And suddenly she was aware she was practically laying on top of him in his bed with him half naked.

She was beginning to suspect she was perhaps a bit too casual with him as she felt her face suddenly heat up. Then again given the wild ride they already had been on she wasn’t certain she wanted to stop either. What she did know was the types of compromising situations they ended up in should make her feel more embarrassed than she probably felt before.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I think I’ll sic Jason on you. He has a thing for adorable blonds.”

“You think I’m adorable?” He asked with a smirk tilting his head just so and his bangs fell away to reveal one of his eyes.

She hated that she found that less adorable and sexier than she ought to. She also hated that her heart skipped a beat knowing he willingly revealed his eye for her. She frowned and reached over to smooth his bangs back into their proper place.

“No flirting while I’m in your bed.” She decided with a sniff. “It’ll only lead to regret and heartache.”

“How do you figure that?” He asked with a frown that was more pleased than upset, if there was ever such a thing.

“Flirting while in a compromising situation?” She asked almost amused. “How’d you think I got Reborn-chan relaxed enough to get distracted?”

His frown suddenly turned sour. “You really did have a quickie with him didn’t you.”

“More like I flirted, there was some touching, then he was spent before I could even begin to enjoy anything.” She sniffed. “I had heard such great things about him being a womanizer. I figured he would remember something from before the curse. Instead he was about as underwhelming as a virgin with no stamina.”

Belphegor threw his head back as he suddenly cackled. She rolled her eyes and was about to leave when he caught her in his arms. He was still snickering as he nuzzled the spot where her shoulder met her neck.

“Keep that up and his reputation will be down the drain.” He snickered holding her close.

“Well it’s not my fault there’s not enough truth to uphold that rumor.” She said slightly tense as she realized he was behind her. Yet instead of feeling a cold wave of dread she felt herself wanting to relax back into him.

She was beginning to hate how her body was betraying her.

“I’m surprised you even venture in that direction, what with the twins and all.” He said as her body decided to relax against her better judgement.

“One bad experience shouldn’t hold you back.” She huffed. “Ever heard about getting back on a horse after falling?”

“Of course, but I would figure that your time spent at _his_ mercy would have been traumatizing.” Belphegor growled holding her closer.

“It was.” She admitted before sitting up with a huff. “But with the right help and a bit of will, even the deepest of scars can heal given time.”

He hummed, and she tried not to squirm. She was so not used to her body reacting without her express permission. But for some reason this Storm had a way of tossing all her careful choreography out the window.

She really wished she didn’t have the sudden urge to curl up against him and just relax. Yamamoto, Moscow, and even to some extent Hibari and a few of her other friends all made her feel safe and welcomed. But she never quite wanted to just melt into someone like she found herself wanting to with Belphegor.

She decided at once she was going on vacation as soon as she escaped the Varia mansion. She would take her babies and they would go somewhere to relax. Maybe hit up one of the large amusement parks like Disney Land or just go to a resort where she could unwind.

It wouldn’t even matter if Sayuri didn’t want or couldn’t go. She was getting out of town for a bit, so she could spend some time figuring out her crazy life. Her logical side was screaming at her that she shouldn’t be so comfortable with a known slightly unhinged assassin who had well documented sadomasochistic tendencies.

She refused to acknowledge a part of her was trying to supply ways she could use that against him. She pushed the mental image of her and Belphegor as little chibi characters with him grinning as he hung from a rope all tied up waiting for her to hit him like a piñata. Her mind was at times a very dangerous place and even _she_ was afraid of looking through a some of the cracked doorways to see what was in the abyss beyond.

“So,” He said loosening his grip a bit, “what do you want for breakfast?”

Her immediate answer flew out of her mouth before she really thought of the question, “Tacos.”

She suddenly suspected she needed a new comfort food. But really, she felt slightly like she was betraying Aotani if she didn’t eat Mexican once a week. Still, she really wanted to hit him for snorting at her immediate response.

“Alright, tacos it is.” He said sounding amused.

“I feel the need to hit you upside the head.” She decided dully.

“Well it’s closer to lunchtime so tacos aren’t too far out of the scope of reality.” He conceded.

“Like really hit you.” She added even as he let her go so he could get dressed.

“Sayuri-chan stopped by with a bag of stuff for you.” Belphegor said motioning to a familiar backpack near the door. “Luss brought it up before they left.”

Yes, Haru decided, she was going on vacation, desu.

Now all she had to do was figure out where she wanted to take her babies for their first trip out of country. Not some place with too many dangers of course. But also, not some place where she would be hounded either, be the hounding be by other criminals or the authorities it didn’t matter.

She decided she could start making a mental list as she got breakfast with Belphegor. At the very least it would help her narrow down her prime vacation destination, so she wouldn’t have to do so much physical planning. The less planning time it took her to book her vacation, the more likely it would be a surprise to any who wanted to crash it.

That in mind she headed to get ready for the day. Hopefully without seeing Cassandra or Xanxus. She might shoot them if their paths crossed just on principle.


	33. Panda Sniffles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Sorry but real life got crazy for a bit and I miss placed some of my notes. I juggled around what I wanted to do before deciding where I wanted to take this. Anyway, enjoy!
> 
> P.S. I may or may not take longer to update from here on out. I do try to write once a day but I've only been able to snag an hour or even half an hour these past few weeks. I'm not abandoning this, or the other fic I've been planning that ties into this one. It'll just take some time to get through.

The thirty-third time she stole his crown, she was casually comparing cold medications at the drug store. After a nice two-week getaway with her babies, she had hoped she could get back to some form of normality. Unfortunately, traveling came with the hazard of disease.

She wasn’t even sure when the last time she had gotten a cold was.

But she thanked the gods for Hiroyuki and Sayuri. The two agreed to watch Hikaru and Hotaru at the man’s apartment so she could recover. Even Moscow and the others made themselves scarce.

Sadly, on the second day of her misery she ran out of medicine. She almost refused to go get some more. But her stuffy nose was making her cheeks ache and she was shivering from a fever that had her sweating buckets.

So, ignoring how all her joints seemed to ache, she tossed on her kawaii panda hoodie and slipped on some sandals. She remembered her medical mask at least and figured no on would comment on her Hello Kitty pajama pants. She was as presentable as her current health would allow.

The drug store wasn’t even far from her house. She just had to shuffle her way down the block and turn left. Four blocks over and two turns down two other streets got her to her destination without needing to drive.

She sighed in relief as she tucked her clammy hands into the large pocket of her hoodie as she shuffled towards the cold medication. She really tried not to sniffle to loudly as she paused before the various brands advertising a relief to her current pain. In stead she blinked blurrily and tried to decipher the strange foreign language that was Japanese.

Shut up, Haru did know Japanese. It was her first language after all. Just because the kanji and hiragana were doing odd acrobatics in front of her eyes meant nothing.

“Need some help?” An amused voice asked next to her.

She blinked as she looked up to find Belphegor standing there with his hands in his pockets. She was both surprised and a bit suspicious as to how he got there. She wasn’t even sure he was real.

Carefully she reached out and poked him in the arm.

He felt solid enough. She poked him again to be sure. Then she reached out and squeezed his arm gently.

She blinked as she registered there was indeed a person next to her. She was still a bit dubious about it actually being Belphegor. But nevertheless, she nodded to herself, sure she was standing next to someone.

Reality: 1

Potential Fever Dream: 0

“Kitsune?” He asked adding a half point to reality because he was the only one to really call her that to her face.

“The first time you came over to Haru’s house, desu. What movie did she reference while trying to get you to leave the property?” She asked her sore throat making her voice a bit croaky.

There was a pause like he was blinking at her then, “Silence of the Lambs?”

Haru nodded distractedly, “Aa. So, you’re not some weird fever dream after all.”

He snorted, and a smirk tugged at the corner of his lip.

“The Prince noticed you shuffling past when he went to speak with the peasants living on your block.” He said with a shrug. “I called out to you, but you just continued here.”

Haru tried to an understanding hum but it came out more like a strangled cat.

“Haru ran out of cold medication.” She said waving at the wall of different over the counter medications. “Vacationing is fun, when people remember to keep their germs to themselves.”

He snorted and turned to the wall of boxes. “Just tell me what one you want.”

She wasn’t quite sure how they got the medicine and left. It seemed like the world was blurry every time she blinked. But she did notice when they were halfway back to her house that he practically dragged her up onto his back.

“Just hold on, Kitsune. We’re almost to your house.” He huffed as he carried not only her but the bag of medical supplies they got.

She just hummed and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. She pressed her cheek to the back of his shoulder and sighed. The next time she blinked he was gently coaxing her to disable her security system, so he could get them inside her house.

“Should just give you the code.” She muttered even as she tapped the security code into her phone. With the security disabled he used her key to slip in. “Maybe a key too.”

“Letting me free reign of your house then?” He asked with a chuckle. “That’s so nice of you.”

She gave a half grunt even as he trudged her up the stairs after kicking off his boots. She motioned him towards the door of her room before he had to go looking. Sayuri and Fran didn’t like other people poking into their rooms and the guest room was still a sectioned off mess thanks to Moscow, Athens, Beijing, and Fon.

She was pretty sure they had a rotation schedule for who slept in the room and who took over the couch downstairs, since the small space could only fit three twin sized futons without padding the entire floor. She had half a mind to get two bunkbeds crammed into the space. But she knew that would start a fight as neither Moscow, Athens, or Beijing were comfortable with sleeping on a raised surface someone could easily sneak under.

Haru could still remember her days staying at the training facility Shishou brought her to as well. It was thirteen weeks of hell and one of the worse hazing experiences she had involved nearly getting knifed through the thin mattress of her bunk by her trainer. It was supposed to teach her to not let her guard down, but it instilled a paranoia that she was certain everyone in the Organization had.

She blinked slowly as Belphegor snorted at her rolled out futon and small pile of blankets. Still she was lowered down to the nicely plush mattress and Belphegor knelt to slip off her slippers. In sort order she was tucked back into bed and given the correct dose of cold medication after Belphegor read the directions.

She dozed off after that barely registering that Belphegor was on his phone with someone as he quietly exited her room.

The next time she woke up, Belphegor was sitting next to her. Her futon was now closer to the unoccupied wall and the Prince was using it to lean against. There was also a small bowel next to him as he read a book.

“Wha?” She muttered blinking hazily as she tried to sit up.

“Hey now.” He said suddenly at her side with the book gone. “Easy. You were running a high fever.”

“How high?” She asked feeling a bit better but still woozy.

“Almost forty degrees Celsius.” He answered making a whine escape her throat. “Don’t worry, Kitsune. It broke nearly three hours ago. Just take it easy.”

“What are you still doing here?” She asked with a sigh as she leaned against him. Her joints still ached, her muscles felt weak, and her head was still all stuffy.

“I called Sayuri to let her know I was going to keep an eye on you. She said you practically forced her out of the house to watch the kids. Not sure where everyone else went.” Belphegor said with a shrug she could feel from where her head rested on his shoulder.

“Dmitri and the others don’t handle sickness well.” She answered slowly. “Usually they toss whoever is sick into bed, leave the cold medication within arm’s length, and demand to be called only after the patient is feeling better.”

“What about food and water?” He asked, and she dazedly looked around the room.

“There,” she pointed at a seemingly normal backpack off to the side. “There should be enough food and bottles of water in there.”

He scuffed. “That’s not how you treat the sick. Be glad Luss can’t make it to Japan. You would be down three friends.”

She shrugged before pulling away and began to slowly try to stand. She wasn’t about to tell him that in the Organization it could sometimes be brutal. That sometimes it was every man for themselves and she was lucky to have such good friends that didn’t automatically kill her for such weakness.

She had seen a few of her fellow Capitals get executed for being unable to fight by some of the more harder members of her group. It wasn’t a place for people to hold hands and get through things together. It was survival of the fittest and only those that could take it managed to live the longest.

It was probably why, even though she felt at ease among the organization, she never felt like it would be her home. She enjoyed the company of Moscow, Athens, and a few others. But they weren’t truly hers to claim so she wasn’t going to cry over them if they didn’t report in one day.

“And where do you think you’re going?” He asked in a huff.

“The toilet?” She offered with a blink. “Then some food.”

“Alright.” He said with an exasperated sigh, she ignored the fact she knew he was rolling his eyes. “You go to the toilet and I’ll get you something to eat.”

“You don’t have to.” She muttered.

“No, but I’m not going to let you wallow away in misery by yourself.” He said with an affronted sniff.

She blinked at him still not sure why he was insisting on caring for her. But decided the added pressure in her head wouldn’t help her puzzle it out. Instead she headed to go relieve her weak bladder and maybe blow her nose.

She found him in the kitchen after she was finished in the toilet. He got her to sit down at the breakfast bar as he fussed over a pot of something, maybe soup. She blinked then winced as a kettle on the stove began to whistle.

“Kitsune,” he called gaining her attention, “would you mind if I infuse your tea with my Flames?”

She blinked at him. “Why?”

“Storm Flames are better at destroying any foreign contaminants in a body than anything on the market.” He said seriously. “I’m not going to put a lot in, just enough to help your body fight off the virus currently running through your system.”

She blinked again. He stood there, waiting. She wanted to feel something about the offer, but…

Slowly she nodded, “Okay.”

His lips kicked up a tiny bit at the edges. It felt like they had just crossed some line drawn in the sand. She wasn’t sure what, but she also was sure it wasn’t bad.

Besides, right now her stomach felt all slimy. Probably from her unconsciously swallowing her own mucus if it didn’t run out of her nose. The thought nearly made her gag and she quickly turned her attention to the pot on the stove.

“What are you cooking?” She decided to ask.

“Just some vegetable soup you have.” He said with a shrug as he set a tea cup down in front of her. “Like I said before, I can cook. But I’m not going to be a chef anytime soon. So canned soup is what you’re going to get.”

She hummed as she picked up her tea and blew at it, so she wouldn’t burn her mouth. When she took a sip, she wasn’t quite certain what she would taste. The sweet, light, minty citrus taste that hit her tongue nearly made her blink in surprise.

She was sure there were other notes and hints to the tea. She could recognize the smell as one of the lemongrass teas she owned. But that went out the window as she focused in on the one taste she knew was different.

Belphegor’s Flames reminded her achingly of cardamom.

She closed her eyes as she took another sip. The last time she tasted this, it had been with her shishou. The thick scent of dark roasted coffee filled the air and they drank from small cups.

Shishou always prepared his coffee, his real coffee, like a Turk. He would boil water and sugar in a small copper coffeepot that he called a Cezve. He would roast his own coffee beans and grind them in a hand cranked grinder along with several cardamom seeds.

It was fascinating to watch, like a traditional tea ceremony. He would put the mix of coffee grounds and spice into the boiling water. It would boil up with a layer of foam he would spoon into the small cups before letting it boil again before pouring.

She had never tasted such a rich coffee before. It was almost as amazing as the cinnamon flavored pastries he served with it. Light and fluffy that seemed to melt in her mouth and had a faint nutty taste to go with the cinnamon.

She blinked back to the present. She was almost done with her tea and she noticed Belphegor had gone back to tending the soup he was heating. She noticed the tension in his neck and shoulders as his fingers gripped at the ladle he was using.

She wasn’t sure what to say. She could feel the slightly extra warm liquid pooling in her stomach. A tingling warmth spreading through her that left a pleasant sensation in its wake.

She knew he was worried she might react badly to his Flames. She wondered if it was cruel of her to remain as unaffected as possible. But she really didn’t want to acknowledge the fact she wanted to curl against him and let her Flames brush against his like a cat.

He made her feel safe. It was a startling revelation. One she wasn’t ready to deal with now.

But she was doomed.

She was doomed, and she didn’t really care that she was.

But she wasn’t going to just go down without a fight. Just because she felt like she could curl up against him and know the world would be fine didn’t mean she was ready to give up her freedom. Plus, there was the issue of Xanxus and the others.

Nope, Haru decided, Haru was not going to slip down that slope without digging in her claws to stop herself.

But.

“You can sleep on the couch.” She declared simply noticing how he jerked at her voice. “Since you’re not going to leave until I’m deemed better.” She sniffed a little because her nose wanted to be running again. “And get me more tea.”

She added at the end holding out her empty cup to him. His grin was back and from the way his shoulders relaxed she would almost say he was relieved. She also ignored the way his fingers brushed against hers as he took the cup.

She might feel like the captain of a ship who was just told they were sinking. But she wasn’t going to go down without a fight. She just wondered if the Varia could handle it.

She also should figure out what happened to Cassandra. She had another sinking feeling that Xanxus opened Pandora’s Box on that one. That bitch had the self-preservation of a child who didn’t know she could die if she jumped off a house.

The soup he made was adequate. The tea was better. And two days later as he left with her in good health, she contemplated her next move as she traced the rim of the crown she snagged before he left.


	34. Partners in Crime

The thirty-forth time she stole his crown, she was hanging out with Hana. Now her and Hana had some history, starting way back when she first started hanging out with Kyoko. Hana hadn’t been too happy Haru basically took over her spot as Kyoko’s best friend for a few months and Haru didn’t really like the other girl much either.

Haru had been all for letting the two of them go on their separate ways with as minimal amount of interaction as possible. They even secretly came up with a time table of who got time with Kyoko. The only way for both to be together was when their friend insisted on it.

Then.

Then Haru got kidnaped and went off on her own for a bit. It was Hana that noticed among the girls that Haru was missing during group activities and such. The other girl being far more intelligent and observant in the duo that was Hana and Kyoko.

They still didn’t get along too well after Hana managed to figure out what happened. But the other girl did her best to be understanding and even helped Haru on occasion to dodge the others. They weren’t friends, but they were no longer fighting over Kyoko.

And then the Maboroshi were formed.

Hana forced her way into the extra lessons and made herself underfoot until Haru couldn’t kick the girl out. Hana wasn’t really into hurting people and getting into fights. But she took over the technological side of the Maboroshi with a single-minded vengeance not even Sayuri wanted to get in her way.

Officially, Hana had spent the last two years out of Namimori studying abroad at college. Unofficially, she was deep undercover helping organize the teams infiltrating the Vongola operations. But with those operations shutting down now that they got everything they could hope for, Hana had come home.

“You cut your hair?” Hana had asked the first time Haru saw her.

“It was Yamamoto-kun’s fault.” Haru defended crossing her arms. “Like you’re one to talk.”

It was true as well. Hana’s long wavy dark hair was now almost chin length. It was eerily like her future self, but somehow Haru thought it fit the other woman better.

“Kami, I’ve missed a lot.” Hana laughed tugging at the strands of Haru’s hair. She was annoyingly taller than Haru but not by much.

“Tell me about it.” Haru sighed. “You read all my emails, right?”

“Un.” Hana nodded. “Why didn’t you call me back so I could have some fun too?”

“Because it’s bad enough Kyoko is mad at me for her not realizing I was telling the truth about the boys. Why are girls so complicated?” Haru asked rolling her eyes.

“Because they’re still trapped in the world of rules their mothers and other women enforce on them.” Hana said with a grin. “I hear she got into the CEDEF.”

“Not my choice, but she’s doing well in her training with Oregano. We also still meet up and practice avoiding kidnapping when we can. Sometimes the boys even help out.” Haru said with a snort. “I still hold the record of capturing her and she has yet to win.”

“She’ll get it. She’s pretty headstrong when she puts her mind to something.” Hana said crossing her arms with a pleased smirk. “She’s been cautious around me since I got back. It’s like she wants to tell me everything that went down but doesn’t want to get me involved.”

“Maybe you should find some way to tell her that you already know. Just be gentle about it. She’s been upset that everyone has been lying to her, even if Bianchi, Chrome, and I have been explicitly truthful. She just didn’t want to believe it.” Haru huffed almost slouching in her chair.

“So, what are you going to do about the Varia? The other big four are convinced you’ll end up working for them.” Hana said with a raised eyebrow.

“Would you mind?” Haru tried not to tap her finger against the table.

“Only if they just want you.” Hana sniffed sticking her nose up in the air. “They’ll just have to suck it up and accept where you go, we girls go as well.”

“Xanxus-san would love to hear that.” Haru rolled her eyes with a smirk. “He wanted to borrow the girls for a little gossip wrangling. I denied the request, but I did let him have a few of the files we dug up. He called me stingy.”

That got Hana laughing after she nearly choked on a piece of cake she had just eaten. Haru smiled slightly as she let her eyes drift around the cake shop. It was unsurprisingly crowded at this time of day, but the crowd was mostly younger girls giggling over boys at school.

“So, boss,” Hana said after regaining her breath, “what are we up to now? Joseph is dead, I still think you should have called me on that one, and the whole cat is out of the bag when it comes to our little brothers.”

“Spinning our wheels for now.” Haru said with a shrug. “We still are settling after adopting the boys. But I also have a bit of a problem I’m looking into.”

“Problem?” Hana asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Cassandra.” Haru drawled dully with an unimpressed look.

“That bitch is back?” Hana asked with a startled look. “Please tell me we ran her off.”

“Xanxus-san took it upon himself to do the running off this time.” Haru said getting a groan from the taller woman.

“Great, just great.” Hana sighed. “You know she’s going to be making a menace of herself now. Please tell me she’s gotten a Lightning while my back was turned.”

Haru shrugged. She wasn’t too certain since she hadn’t even spoken to the French woman before Xanxus stepped in. She hoped the woman did get a Lightning, Hana could be vicious.

“Oh, and Dmitri, Jason, and Sheng are around. Sheng should be deported soon-ish.” Haru said holding out her hand and tilting it side to side a bit. “But Jason is having a blast and doesn’t seem like he had a place to go back to for a while.”

“And Dmitri?” Hana asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Seems to be at loose ends. Like it doesn’t really matter to him if he goes home or not and is just sticking around to watch the chaos.” Haru said with a shrug.

“You know, we could always take the girls and go to the island for a bit.” Hana offered with a smirk.

“I just got back not long ago.” Haru smirked. “Although the flight back from Okinawa ended with me having a slight cold.”

“Only you, Haru.” Hana laughed shaking her head. “So, what’s this I hear about a certain prince and a crown?”

Haru almost groaned before catching Hana up on the insanity she missed. Hana of course got a laugh out of the whole thing. She said only Haru was likely to get into that sort of mess without realizing what was going on.

After finishing their cake, the two women headed for some shopping. Sayuri loved Hana because the other woman was perhaps the best at dragging Haru away from work. Hana insisted they had to stop at all the electronics shops and even the clothes and craft stores.

“Ah, excuse me, miss.” A soft male voice with a foreign accent called as they exited yet another accessory shop.

Haru turned to find a sheepishly grinning foreigner standing there. He had coppery light brown hair and hazel green eyes. He towered over her with a slim build and there was a splash of freckles across his nose that made his handsome face seem more boyish.

“Sorry,” he said giving a slight bow, “um, could you help point me in the direction of this hotel?”

He lifted a piece of paper up with a bemused grin.

“I was following the map, but I still don’t understand the whole block and numbering stuff here.” He admitted and Haru blinked before smiling.

“Of course.” She said holding out her hand for the paper.

She didn’t have to look to know Hana was hovering just behind her. She could almost tell the other girl was watching with a slight smile that hid her sharp eyes. The man seemed harmless enough, but Haru was happy for the backup if she needed it.

“You said you had a map?” Haru asked watching as he tilted his head mouthing a few of the words. Clearly, he wasn’t a fluent speaker.

“Oh, right.” He perked up and pulled a folded map of the city out of his jacket. “Do you need a pen?”

“That would be helpful.” She said with a smile as she held out her hand.

Once she had the pen in her hand she carefully drew a route to the hotel in question. It was a modest place where most of the foreign businessmen tended to congregate. He wasn’t even that far off, he just took two wrong turns and ended up four blocks away from where he was supposed to be.

“Here.” She said handing him back the piece of paper, pen, and map. She turned to show him the route. “Just follow the arrows.”

“Ah, thank you!” He beamed before pausing and giving her a jerky bow. “I hope you have a good day.”

Then he was carefully walking down the street following her directions.

“Good luck!” She called after him with a smile before turning to Hana. “He was cute.”

“Most lost foreigners tend to be.” Hana snorted.

“But did you see those freckles?” Haru asked with a grin. “And the accent? He sounds Irish.”

“Don’t you already have a foreigner to fawn over?” Hana asked taking her hand as they strode arm and arm back to their car.

“Belphegor-san is for teasing, not fawning.” Haru pouted.

“I’m sure he would be disappointed to hear that.” Hana said with a smirk.

“I think he prefers being teased more than being fawned over. Prince or not, he isn’t too enthusiastic when it comes to giggling flocks of girls trying to get his attention. At the last ball he practically clung to my hand to stay away from them.” Haru said with a grin.

“Really?” Hana asked her smirk turning a bit shark-like and reminded Haru of Squalo. “Please, tell me more.”

One thing led to another and before Haru knew it the two were seated in Hana’s new apartment. The woman got it after moving back to Namimori because she didn’t want to stay with her mother. Kurokawa-san was a nice woman but came from a more traditional time and was pushing for Hana to find a boyfriend already.

The apartment was so Hana could lock the door and forget to answer the phone. It wasn’t that she didn’t love her mother. Just sometimes Hana looked about ready to stab the woman when the nagging got a bit over the top.

Anyway, Haru was soon giggling into a glass of wine as the other woman told her about all the misadventures she had in Italy. Everything from having to hide out in a convent to almost marrying a Gigolo. Haru was almost snorting the wine out her nose after a rather funny story involving a Mafia Sky, two police detectives, and a circus.

“So.” Hana said after they ran out of things to say. The television was on and an old re-run of some eighties anime was playing.

“So.” Haru answered with a smile and sigh. “Thanks for today. I really needed it.”

“No problem. I sort of needed it after having to deal with Kyoko. I can’t wait until she’s out of the awkward teenage girl to woman stage she’s in.” Hana said with a sigh. “I still can’t believe she took Sawada back.”

“Well hopefully he’s learning from his dad’s mistakes. If he does her wrong like what happened to Nana…” Haru trailed off while glaring at a spot on the far wall.

“Want to prank him?” Hana asked suddenly.

“Prank who?”

“Iemitsu.” Hana said with a growing grin. “And maybe swing by and pick up a crown along the way.”

“You’re not serious.” Haru said sitting up.

“Come on, today is all about fun. Let’s show old man Sawada our displeasure, maybe steal a crown and a kitchen sink, and oh we could prank Tsunayoshi as well.” Hana said looking more excited as she continued.

“Alright, alright.” Haru laughed. “But under the mask. The Vongola still can’t figure out how to tell the Maboroshi apart. This way I can write it off as my girls being bored and taking the order of go train a bit more liberally than necessary.”

“I love you.” Hana said with a grin.

“Don’t let Ryohei hear you say that.” Haru teased.

“I don’t like Ryohei.” Hana snapped. “Just because we were a thing in the future that never was, doesn’t mean we have to be a thing now.”

“Okay, okay, just go suit up.” Haru said holding her hands up and shooing Hana towards the single bedroom. “I’ll meet you at my place.”

“You better.” Hana said with her hip cocked before sauntering off to get ready.

Haru quickly took off to not only put away her purchases but to don her uniform. Sayuri raised an eyebrow but shook her head promising to watch the kids while Haru was out. Haru almost kissed the girl but decided against it as she put on her mask.

Not a second later Hana appeared in the window.

The two took off into the darkening streets of Namimori with chaos on their minds. Unfortunately, as they passed plans back and forth on just who to prank and when the other girls joined in. It wasn’t long before Haru found herself in a squad of girls all itching for some fun.

They hit Iemitsu’s first. He had gotten an apartment after his divorce, intent on trying to win back Nana. He still had enough savings to live without working for a bit, but eventually Lal would send him on some assignment to get him out of Japan on Tsuna’s orders.

The girls made quick work of the place. They repainted his bedroom pink, moved all the furniture two inches to the left, filled his tub with green Jell-O, and switched around how his clothes were organized in his dresser. They also left a few printed out Simpsons memes pasted onto the walls of his living room.

Next, they hit Tsuna, while carefully avoiding Reborn which was fun. One of Mists used an illusion to make him think everything was normal and he dressed like a girl. They even carefully cleaned out his closet and drawers to supply him with proper female attire.

They would have done more but decided they didn’t want to prank him too much. Besides, Colonnello almost caught them when he decided he had to use the toilet. He just sort of looked right at one of the Maboroshi, blinked, then continued his way muttering about how he had to stop drinking coffee before bed.

Then again, the agent in question was holding a rather puffy pale blue dress covered in lace and bows.

Their final target was Belphegor. That meant infiltrating the Varia mansion since he was staying there. It was also now crawling with other minions, quite a few from his division.

After disabling the security, the Maboroshi carefully slunk into the mansion. A small group took off to the kitchen intent on doing some renovating. While another group splintered off to lay down some fun surprises for the minions.

Haru almost shuddered at the amount of glitter the girls were taking with them. With the last group focused on keeping the handful of minions on security busy, Haru and Hana were on their own to sneak into Belphegor’s room. Even as they slipped beyond the door, Haru felt like they could be caught at any minute.

But instead they silently ghosted up to the sleeping prince. It was eerily like the last time Haru willingly stole his crown. Well aside from him wearing a pair of sleeping pants and sleeping peacefully.

Getting the crown was almost too easy. But then Hana pulled out a brush and two pink hair ribbons. Haru almost laughed aloud instead she started using the Maboroshi sign language to tell the woman to keep his bangs in front of his eyes.

Five minutes later all of Belphegor’s hair, aside form his long fringe, was pulled into two ponytails on top his head. The two ribbons were tied neatly into two little bows. There may have been a liberal use of a camera to get some good pictures, before they quietly snuck out.

Then as quickly as the Maboroshi slipped in, they slipped out of the mansion unnoticed. Haru could hear them giggling and talk about hidden cameras. Instead she fist-bumped Hana before they went their separate ways.

The next afternoon Haru woke up to someone pounding on the door. Sayuri had left an hour ago, telling Haru the twins were taking their nap. So Haru sighed as she crawled out from under her covers.

She didn’t even care she was just wearing a pair of lacy panties. Instead she reached the door of her room and pulled down her black lace robe. In hindsight she probably should have remembered the robe was almost sheer, but she was trying to catch her lost sleep.

Instead she tied the black silk belt and took the steps two at a time. She didn’t want her babies woken up from their nap. Hotaru was especially crabby when naptime was interrupted.

When she opened the door, she blinked since standing there was Belphegor. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. But he just stood there with his mouth open for a long minute.

“Did I,” he squeaked only to pause and clear his throat. “Did I wake you?”

“Pretty much.” She said with a snort. “What do you want Belphegor-san?”

He pouted, “My crown is missing.”

She gave a grunt. “I found a crown in my room this morning.”

“Your girls are right terrors.” He said even as he seemed to shift.

She suddenly realized he wasn’t looking at her. If she had to guess he was staring pointedly at a spot just above her right shoulder. She could also see a slight flush creeping over his face.

“What did they do now?” She asked sounding exasperated and amused.

“They snuck into the mansion and rigged up several traps, redecorated the kitchen, probably stole my crown. By the way can you ask them where the kitchen sink went? Luss won’t be happy that it’s missing.” He said a faint smile at the end before he cut himself off. His face got redder and she realized he was against pointedly staring at the point over her shoulder.

“Okay.” She said with a growing smirk.

“Yea, well, um,” he shifted and made an obvious move showing he had looked away, “I probably should be going. Sorry about waking you.”

“Sure thing, later Belphegor-san.” She tossed over her shoulder as she turned around and shut the door on him.

She instantly peered out the peephole to see him scrubbing his face with his hand. She was sure there was a curse there before he swallowed. Then he stiffly turned and head down the walk and out of her yard.

Perhaps the robe wasn’t a bad idea after all.

She giggled to herself before turning and heading back to bed.


	35. Making Friends

The thirty-fifth time she stole his crown, began as she carefully balanced the stack of boxes as she made her way down the side street. She had been meaning to hit her favorite vending machine for a while, but with everything that had been going on she couldn’t.

Beijing was leaving at the end of the week. She hadn’t seen Belphegor in a few days. But otherwise her days were now back to normal, or at least as normal as they could be now.

Mostly she had been focusing on her day job. Hiroyuki was now trying to get her to leave the hospital to focus on Namimori-kai. Something she was a bit reluctant to go through with after all the hard work she put in to become a surgeon.

It wasn’t that she didn’t understand his reasoning. She did. But as she looked back at the last few years she wondered if it was worth it.

As she contemplated that she forgot to look where she was going. She barely managed to catch a glimpse of a suit before she crashed into someone. Her stack of boxes went falling as well as a scatter of papers.

“Hahi!” She exclaimed as she found herself sprawled on the ground.

She felt herself flushed as she looked up into startled hazel green eyes. A handsome foreigner with light brown hair was staring at her just as startled. There was a faint flush under the scatter of freckles splashed across his cheeks and nose.

“Uh,” He gave a quick curse in English as he scrambled to stand.

She blushed further as she realized he had ended up sprawled right between her legs. It was her turn to curse as she snapped her knees together. She sometimes hated the fact that she was obligated to wearing skirts, as she was sure the man caught at least a glimpse of her satin purple panties.

“I’m so sorry.” He said in halting Japanese as he offered her a hand. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“It’s fine.” She replied in English making him smile slightly. He easily hoisted her off the ground after she took his hand. “I wasn’t paying much attention either.”

He chuckled as he ran his now free hand through his hair. They paused for a minute eyeing each other before a gust of wind reminded Haru of the papers now scattered about. From his colorful curse he too was reminded as he dove to save his fallen documents.

She caught a few glimpse of finance reports for a company but otherwise kept her eyes to herself. Instead she smiled as she snagged the last wayward leaf of paper. Then she turned and handed her stack out for him to take.

“Sorry about that.” His English accented with a soft Irish tone.

“I know you.” She blinked in surprise even as she let him take the documents from him.

“You do?” He blinked eyeing her.

“Yes, you were the one who asked me for directions to your hotel a few days ago.” She said with a bit of a smile noticing his blush grow darker on his rather pale face.

“I remember that. And thank you.” He said with a deep nod that worked just as well as a bow. “I managed to find it in no time thanks to your directions.”

“I’m glad.” She said before pausing to hold out her hand. “My name is Haru Miura.”

“Pleased to meet you, Miura-san.” He said shaking her hand firmly. “I’m Travis Corcoran.”

She smiled at how smooth his name rolled off his tongue. Then she turned to her scattered boxes. She sighed as she began stacking them up again.

“Here, let me help.” He offered as he began making another stack. “What are these?”

She laughed as she looked down at the small boxes wrapped in white paper. They really weren’t much and cost at most three hundred yen. But then again, she didn’t get them for what was wrapped inside as much as the small stories taped to the white paper.

“They’re mystery boxes.” She said as she lifted her stack up.

“Mystery boxes?” He asked as he tucked his piles of folders under his arm to hold onto his stack of boxes.

“Yep,” She nodded, “they’re actually boxes of snacks I got from a vending machine. The fun is that I don’t really know what snacks they are and reading the stories on the wrapping paper.”

“And what if you don’t like the snacks?” he questioned blinking at her.

“I have a lot of friends.” She said with a grin. “Usually I can give the ones I don’t like to one of them. I even know which ones they like so it’s not difficult.”

“That sounds interesting.” He said blinking at the boxes. “I saw those, uh, lucky boxes? At the reclaim store. The ones with all the different merchandise in them. But those are see through so there isn’t much guessing involved.”

“True, but sometimes there are a few hidden things under all the stuff you can see.” She said with a grin.

“I was thinking of getting some for my little brother.” Travis said with a grin. “He is really into anime even if he adamantly denies it.”

She laughed and motioned for him to follow her into a nearby park. It was nice and open with several people milling about. Not that she was really worried he might try to harm her.

“There’s no shame in loving anime.” She said as she sat down her stack of boxes. “I love cosplay, it so fun.”

“I’ve never tried.” He said before frowning. “Although I did participate in a few costume contests for Halloween when I was younger. Is it similar?”

“Pretty much,” She agreed with a grin. “But it’s not just monsters and depending on the competition you might have to do a skit or two in order to win.”

“Huh, that sounds fun.” He agreed with a smile. “Well if there’s a convention or something in the next few weeks I might duck in to check it out. At least I’m sure I can get some special merchandise for my brother.”

“There’s actually an anime convention happening two weeks from now at the local convention hall.” She said with a grin. “I’m trying to see if I can’t get the days off, so I can go.”

“Days off?” He blinked. “Aren’t you still in school? You don’t look that old.”

She laughed. “No, I’ve already graduated. I work at the local hospital.”

“Really,” He said impressed as he looked her up and down. “Somehow you don’t strike me as a nurse.”

“I’m not.” She grinned. “I’m a surgeon.”

She almost felt giddy as his mouth dropped. She would never get over the fact that so many seemed so surprised she already completed medical school. Admittedly most of her classwork was done on a computer but it still counted.

“Either you look amazing for your age or you look amazing and have the intelligence to back it up.” He said with a grin.

“Are you always this free with compliments?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Only when they double as the truth.” He was a big smug before pausing at looking at the stack of boxes on the table. “Are you going to unwrap them here? I could go get a bag for you to carry them in.”

“A bag would be nice, but you don’t have to spend any money on me.” She said with a shake of her head. “But I suppose I could unwrap them now. Why? Are you curious?”

“Kind of.” He said peering at one of the boxes, or rather the story penned onto the white paper. “Is that talking about two grandparents cheating on each other?”

She looked at the one he was reading and almost laughed. “That’s right. I’m surprise you can read so well.”

The slight flush was back as he gave a nervous chuckle. “I picked up reading before I ever started learning how to speak Japanese. I also don’t really have anyone back home to practice with, so I’ve been reduced to watching movies or listening to online radio stations.”

“Clever.” She said with a grin. “Why did you take an interest in the first place?”

“A bit of my brother’s anime obsession and later I worked with a business firm based in Tokyo. It was easier on the board to just send me emails in Japanese. I was getting more fluent in Japanese thanks to phone conversations but then I transferred.” He shrugged.

“Well, if you’re not busy, come on and sit.” She said motioning to the empty bench across from hers. “Reading the stories and unwrapping the snacks is the best part.”

They spent at least half an hour unwrapping all the boxes and laughing over some of the strange stories they found. She had always suspected that these stories were somehow true stories, but never had any proof. There was one that she swore referenced her rampage after Yamamoto gave her that accidental haircut.

“I never tried these before.” Travis said looking at a box of vegan crackers curiously. “Are they good?”

“I like them.” She grinned. “A few of my friends also like them but most think they’re too healthy.”

He laughed. “Well, just wait here a second and I’ll go find you a bag.”

“I told you, you don’t have to.” She said rolling her eyes, but he gave her a wink and took off.

She watched him go with a bit of a fond smile. He really was adorable, and she almost wished they had met a few months ago. But as she thought of possibly asking him out, she kept seeing a flash of Belphegor’s pouty frown in her mind.

Not to mention he was too adorable to be killed because the Varia Storm got jealous.

That thought brought Haru back to wondering where she stood with Belphegor. She knew they were friends, but something was there between them. There had to be for her to get so comfortable with him.

She almost forgot what they said about his mental state. In fact, she hadn’t seen much of the crazed killer he supposedly was in a long time. That’s not to say Belphegor didn’t have a few screws loose but she just felt like she could count on him.

He was trying, she knew. She just didn’t know the why of it all. She really wasn’t exactly the best candidate for him to pursue after all.

He was a prince with a kingdom to think about. Even if his brother might still be alive somehow, eventually he would have to go back to his country. She doubted they would accept a foreigner who already had children out of wedlock as their next queen.

Not that she was thinking of what marriage with Belphegor would be like.

Travis returning pulled her from her thoughts. He helped her put all the boxes of snacks into the large tote bag he got. Then she grinned as she stood up with the strap of the bag hoisted onto her shoulder.

“It was nice meeting you.” She said holding out her hand.

“Likewise.” He said with a grin as he shook her hand. “Perhaps we can meet up again. I’ve been looking for some place to get some sushi around here. My brother apparently thinks it’s blasphemous that I’m in Japan and haven’t tried authentic sushi yet.”

She laughed. “There’s a nice place called TakeSushi you can try. Here.”

She pulled out the receipt to the bag he bought and penned down her phone number.

“I’m not saying I’ll have much time to spare.” She said holding out the paper. “But I’m sure I can fit you into my busy schedule.”

“I’ll text you my number. Just let me know when you have some time free.” He said with a grin. “I’ll be happy to make time to explore the authentic Japan experience.”

She laughed, “I’ll text you then. Have a nice day, Corcoran-san.”

“You too, Miura-sensei.” He said with a nod.

She was almost reluctant to leave, but quickly turned. She headed out of the park and glanced back only once. He was still standing at the table they shared grinning to himself with his hands in his pockets.

She forced herself not to giggle like a high school girl as she focused on continuing her day. It was hard when almost as soon as she got to her car she got his text. She tried to bite her lip to keep the grin off her face as she texted Sayuri to look at her schedule.

It was easy to find an open spot in her schedule to go eat sushi. She made sure Sayuri would pencil in the date with a note that nothing would be changing it. She wouldn’t let the mafia get in the way of her appearing normal after all.

She soon texted Travis back with the time and date of their meal. Then it was off to Kokuyo Land for a meeting with Mukuro. Not to mention Fran was supposed to be there, so she could drop off the box of gummies she had with him.

The meeting went relatively well. Just some more negotiating about how the Kokuyo Gang would pay off their debt to Namimori-kai. In all it was rather standard, even if she and Mukuro got off on a tangent about high school uniforms for a few minutes.

“Nee-chan!” Fran greeted after Haru tracked him down in the living quarters. “Tell the false prince, they will never take me alive. I am going to stay with the fairies.”

“Kohai,” Belphegor sighed rubbing the bridge of his nose. “The boss wants you in the Varia.”

“I still have a lot of time before I rejoin.” Fran argued. “I wasn’t this young when I joined in the false future.”

“No, but the shitty Boss knows you’re his Mist.” Belphegor said calmly. “You belong in the Varia and your age doesn’t really matter. The prince was eight when he joined.”

“How’d that turn out for you?” Fran sassed and Haru laughed as she stepped between the two. Belphegor was frowning with a pair of knives in his hand.

“Now, enough of that.” She said simply patting the apple hood Fran wore. She smiled warmly as she gently spoke, “You’re almost thirteen, Fran.”

The boy’s eyes widened as he looked up at her. Then they got a bit misty-eyed as he suddenly clung to her waist. The Mist buried his face into the fabric of her shirt as she patted his hood again.

She looked over to find Belphegor looking at them with a strange expression. He wasn’t frowning really but he did have his head tilted just a tad. It was perhaps one of the most genuinely curious looks she’d seen from him yet.

“I’m not thirteen yet.” Fran grumbled making her wrap an arm around his shoulders and squeeze.

“No,” She agreed, “but you’re close. It’s time to start thinking about what you’ll do then.”

“Can I still stay with the fairies?”

“You can do whatever you please.” She said simply. “But I’m not guaranteeing everything will remain the same.”

She felt his fists ball into the fabric of her shirt. Sadly, she patted his hood again. Neither of them really wanted Fran to grow up, but eventually he would have to make his own way in the world.

“You mean the reason he’s been so reluctant to leave is because of you?” Belphegor asked in such a confused voice she swore he was blinking under that fringe of his.

“Nee-chan promised.” Fran said simply. “Until I turn thirteen I get to stay with the fairies if I want.”

Belphegor frowned before snorting. “And afterwards? You won’t be under her protection any longer.”

“If he stays, he might not like the consequences.” Haru said with a shrug. “Sayuri-chan especially is waiting for a reason to knock him around a bit. In the name of training of course.”

Fran tightened his grip on her a bit more. “Could be worse.”

“I suppose.” Haru conceded. “Just, think about it. In the meantime, here.”

Fran brightened up as she pulled the box of gummies out of her bag. He snatched them from her and took off towards his room, clearly intent on hiding them. She smiled and shook her head as he left.

Then she looked up to find Belphegor eyeing her with his arms crossed.

“The boss will want to know about this.” He said simply making her sigh.

“For what it’s worth, I never really intended on protecting him.” She said with a wry grin. “I just had a pathetic child constantly showing up at my house because he needed somewhere to feel safe. He got the support he needed, and I didn’t have to worry about him getting picked up by the authorities.”

Belphegor paused for along moment before nodding. There was something odd in the air around them then. A pause that had Haru questioning if she should make a hasty retreat or not.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come work for the Varia?” He asked with a wry grin. “You’re practically taking over things as it is.”

“I still have a lot on my plate.” She admitted reluctantly. “Hiroyuki-kun is talking about me quitting my job at the hospital.”

“What?” Belphegor deadpanned. “After everything you went through to get your license?”

“I can practice family medicine.” She pointed out.

“But you’re a surgeon.” He hissed and something warm swelled in her chest.

“I can take a year or two off. I own the local hospital Belphegor-san. If I left and came back no one would bat an eye.” She said a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lip.

Belphegor crossed his arms and scoffed. “Still, what sort of bastard tells someone to throw away their honest accomplishments for something they don’t really want any part of. And don’t tell me you enjoy being the head of the Namimori-Kai. I know if it wasn’t for Hibari and Sawada you would have been content to stay at the hospital.”

She hated how her heart seemed to skip a beat.

“Well,” She shifted, “it’s something I have to think on. Until Hikaru-kun can take over, I’m stuck in command. I suppose I could let Hiroyuki-kun run things in my absence but then I would have to be absent for that to happen.”

“Then join the Varia.” He said taking a step into her space. “You can take the twins and come to Italy. We might not be the best role models, but your kids are going to grow up to be the heads of two powerful criminal organizations. Don’t tell me Sayuri isn’t planning on grooming Hotaru-chan so she can take over the Maboroshi.”

“You’re not wrong.” She said as she chewed on her lip. “But I would still have a lot of stuff I need to do before I left.”

“Then start,” He said cupping her chin, “we can wait. You still have that thing with Cassandra, which Mammon is looking into by the way. Plus, you’re still an ally of Sawada and you know eventually his father is going to make a menace of himself. Just, make sure everything is in place so when you do have to get out of here, you don’t have to worry about possibly leaving things unfinished.”

She blinked and licked her suddenly dry lips. “Why do you make it sound like you’re offering me more than just a place with the Varia?”

He smirked a bit and opened his mouth to respond.

“Miura-sensei!”

Haru pulled back and looked around Belphegor to the person who called her. There was one of Verde’s minions jogging up to them. She smiled as he leaned over panting.

“I’m sorry to interrupt. But Verde-sensei asked that I come get you. He wishes to discuss some of the projects he proposed last week.”

She smiled as she caught the two knives sent at the minion who jumped back with wide eyes.

“Go tell him I’ll be down in a few minutes.” She said pleasantly, and the man nodded quickly before fleeing. She raised an eyebrow before turning unimpressed to Belphegor. “Honestly, do you have to try to stab the minions?”

“He annoyed the prince.” Belphegor defended with his arms crossed.

She laughed before leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. “Well I better go see what Verde wants.”

He whined slightly as he frowned, though his cheeks did have a faint flush to them.

“None of that.” She grinned as she ruffled his hair and snagged his crown. “Why don’t you stop by for dinner sometime this week? Hotaru-chan has been asking about her Uncle Bel.”

“Well I can’t disappoint the princess, now can I?” He grinned at her.

“No, you can’t. What sort of prince would you be otherwise?” She teased making him laugh. “And don’t worry about Fran-kun. I’ll talk to him.”

“God,” Belphegor said with a sigh, “sometimes I wonder if I shouldn’t be worshiping the ground you walk on.”

“Talk to him.” She emphasized with a grin. “I make no promises.”

“He’ll at least listen to you.” He pointed out with a smirk. “You can tell me how it went when I show up for dinner tomorrow.”

She blew him a kiss as she headed off down the hall. She only realized as she turned the corner that the odd warmth that had surrounded her had been his Flames. She wanted to be annoyed but then resolutely put the crown she snagged on her head.

She still had a lot to tackle before she could get anywhere near the mess that she had with Belphegor. In the meantime, she was going to enjoy the little things while she could. That meant telling Sayuri to expect the prince and all the chaos that would come with him.

She hoped she would be forgiven eventually.


	36. A Storm is Brewing

The thirty-sixth time she stole his crown, he yanked her into a dark back alleyway. It started not surprisingly when she went to talk to Fran. She had promised, and she knew Belphegor wouldn’t miss having dinner with her.

Fran had been sulking in his room in Kokuyo Land. She barely even heard him when she knocked on the door to enter. Seeing him slumped at his desk, idly pushing around the gummies she gave him, nearly broke her heart.

“Hey.” She said going over and kneeling by his elbow. “What’s wrong?”

“Are you really going to make me go to the Varia, nee-chan?” Fran asked softly looking at her with blank eyes.

“I’m not making you do anything you don’t want.” She said resolutely. “How can I value freedom if I try to take it away from other people?”

She almost counted it a victory when Fran’s lips twitched just a bit into a smile.

“Come now, otouto. Tell nee-chan what’s wrong.” She urged reaching out and pushing some of his aqua hair away from his forehead. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me. Mind reading is sadly not among my skillset.”

“I,” Fran started before pausing and looking away from her with a frown.

Haru was patient. She knew sometimes, especially with pre-teens, it was better just to give them time. Instead she just continued playing with the ends of his bangs, letting him know she was still right there for him.

“If I join the Varia, I’ll have to go stay in Italy.” He said his voice almost too soft to hear. “I don’t want to leave home.”

“Home?” She asked blinking.

“Things are different.” Fran said with a huff suddenly standing and began pacing his small room. “It’s not like the future that won’t be.”

“I know sweetie. Tell me what’s different, so we can work this out.” She said plopping down on his desk chair and crossing her arms.

“I didn’t have a place to call home before.” Fran said before pausing. “I-I mean. I had gram but she…”

“I know about your accident and how slowly the memories started coming back.” Haru said softly, reminding him she was the only person he really told such things.

“Mukuro only trained me to become the next Chrome if the current one…” Fran said in a rush before slamming his mouth shut. “I’m not…”

Haru raised an eyebrow as Fran pulled his apple hood off his head and tossed it on his bed. Without the Mist Flames to enhance the hat, it turned into a simple apple themed beanie with a fluffy yarn pompom on top. However, what caught her attention most was how Fran grabbed at his short aqua hair and fisted his fingers.

“I’m not Chrome.” He sobbed slightly. “And _I’m not Mammon_!”

Haru stood from the desk chair sharply and marched over to the poor boy. She yanked him into her arms and held him as tightly as she dared. She began humming a lullaby as she felt him latch onto her like she was a rock in the middle of a rapid trying to sweep the poor boy away.

“I don’t want to be like Nagi or Viper, nee-chan.” He whimpered into her shirt as he sobbed. “I want to stay home.”

She gathered up his slight frame and flopped down onto his bed. He was small enough still that he fit easily on her lap. It also made it easier for her to hold him in her arms and pet his hair.

“No one is forcing you to leave.” She reassured rocking him slightly. “You can stay as long as you want. You don’t ever have to leave.”

“But it won’t be the same.” He whimpered.

“That’s the worst part of growing up.” She agreed taking a moment to give him a slightly firmer hug. “But you’re a big boy now. You’re almost an adolescent then you’ll be a man and probably taller than your nee-chan, desu.”

He chuckled as she rambled.

“Haru doesn’t want you to leave either. Who is going to be the best nii-san ever to Hotaru-chan and Hikaru-kun? But at the same time Haru wants Fran-kun to grow up and spread his wings properly. If that means going to join the Varia or staying and learning from the Maboroshi, then so be it. Fran-kun still has over half a year to decide.” Haru said firmly running her fingers through his hair. “Fran-kun can even come to live with Haru full time if he likes.”

“Master will allow it?” Fran asked his voice muffled by her shirt.

“He isn’t in a position to say no.” Haru said simply with a smile. “Sayuri-chan will probably throw a fit and Dmitri, Jason, and Fon are still staying at the house even if Sheng is leaving soon. But your room is still your room, just as I promise it will always be.”

Fran didn’t say anything for a long moment. Haru was almost sure he had fallen asleep in her arms. Then he shifted and looked at her with a frown.

“How can he be my Sky if he’s not your Sky?” Fran asked seriously.

Haru opened her mouth but no sound came out. She had sort of feared this happening. That the slowly growing bond she had with the young Mist might make things difficult.

She wasn’t even sure when he started latching onto her. Just one day she was scolding him for shirking on his academic studies and things sort of clicked into place. Somehow her Flames just seemed to decide that yes, Fran was hers, and no, she wouldn’t give him up for anything.

Slowly she closed her mouth. She took a deep breath as she slowly blinked. The air escaped her as she slowly opened her eyes and let her face fall into a rather stern expression.

“Just because we have a bond doesn’t mean you need to put it above potentially getting a Sky.” She said simply. “Skies are rare in this world, otouto. Even with Verde getting closer to recreating Box Weapons and Flame rings. Two elements can share a bond even if one doesn’t bond with the other’s Sky. Sometimes an element will never find a Sky, and that’s just fine. It doesn’t make them any less than ones that do.”

Fran looked at her with a frown as he bit his lip.

“I’m not saying you should run off and do something stupid out of my sight if you can help it.” She added making his lips twitch more towards a smile. “I’m just saying you shouldn’t dismiss such an opportunity out of hand. Think on it, decide what’s best for Fran-kun, and then if you still would rather join the Maboroshi or Namimori-kai, I won’t turn you away. But if you want to go to Italy and see if you fit in with the Varia, then I won’t stop you either.”

Fran did smile then and nearly knocked the wind out of her as he slammed into her with a hug.

“You’re the best nee-chan ever.” He said making her smile. “Too bad you have a horrible taste in men.”

The smile vanished, and she rolled her eyes.

“Be happy I don’t hit anyone under the age of thirteen.” She muttered getting a chuckle from him. “Now what else is bothering you? You can’t tell me you’re this upset over something we’ve already discussed more than once and at longer length before.”

She could practically feel his flinch as he tensed.

“There’s another Sky bothering me, besides the leader of the tooth decaying fairies.” He muttered into her shoulder.

“Does this Sky have a name?” She prompted coolly.

“Hancock-san.” Fran said softly. “Hancock Rufus-san.”

The name didn’t ring any bells, but she recognized it easily as foreign. She wondered how so many Skies seemed to appear in her territory without her knowledge. She would have to talk to Hibari about this.

Fran hesitated for a moment longer before, “I think he has ties to Cassandra.”

Haru tensed. She definitely would be talking to Hibari. She also made a note to hunt down Hana.

“I see.” She said coolly feeling Fran tense against her.

“If you confront him, can I be there nee-chan?” He asked softly.

“If you want.” She conceded wondering how she would keep Belphegor away if that were to happen.

Thinking of the Varia Storm she almost wanted to groan as she remembered all of this was because she promised to talk to Fran. The only reason she really offered was because so far, the Varia didn’t seem as annoyed with the child Mist. But she knew if Levi so much as suggested they kill Fran in her presence, well she hoped Xanxus would forgive her for needing a new Lightning.

She didn’t dwell on those thoughts for too long however since she was suddenly helping Fran pack. She just shook her head as the young Mist went to tell Mukuro he was going to be permanently living with Haru from now on. She just hoped Athens didn’t corrupt her innocent otouto more than Mukuro had.

Getting Fran situated into his room wasn’t even hard. He had been slowly bringing his stuff over to begin with, so all his belongings in Kokuyo Land fit into a medium sized duffle bag. With that in his room, and a bit of an adjustment for her other roommates, Fran fit right in as if he had been staying there all along.

The next night Belphegor had shown up on her doorstep as he promised for dinner. She noticed he spotted Fran there but spent most of the meal either entertaining the twins or deflecting Athens’ advances. It gave her time to speak with Sayuri about needing to speak to Hana.

She was unsurprised to find her tech goddess waiting for her after she got off work.

“So, what’s this I hear about needing my expertise?” Hana asked with a smirk as she sat in the passenger seat playing on her phone.

“Seems while I was dealing with Joseph we had some unwelcome company sneak into the city.” Haru said calmly driving.

“More unwelcome than Joseph?”

“What do we know about Cassandra’s allies?” Haru asked with a frown.

“Not much.” Hana admitted running a hand through her hair. “She’s been pretty good at keeping the specifics close, so we can’t get to them. Why? Thinks she brought in some reinforcements?”

“Fran told me that he’s getting harassed by a Sky with possible links to her.”

“They’re going after the kids now?!”

“It’s Cassandra.” Haru said dryly.

“Well, yea, but shit. You know she doesn’t really care about children. She’s too up her own ass for that sort of thing. Does she know about the twins?”

“I’d say no.” Haru began before frowning. “But I don’t know for sure and that’s what worries me.”

“So now that we’re done with the Vongola you want us to focus full force on her?”

“Not full force.” Haru hesitated. “She’ll start a fuss if she even thinks we’re shaking her for all she’s worth. But I wouldn’t mind if you had a handful of your best poke around a bit. She probably is anticipating such a move, anyway, given how much drama she’s been causing me.”

“So, we’re giving her what she wants?” Haru could see the incredulous face Hana had out of the corner of her eye.

“Or at least try to make her think we are.” Haru said smoothly. “You know her family has been getting into some deep trouble with Interpol lately. The rise in terrorism in France hasn’t been helping.”

“Oh, I see.” Hana said with a smirk. “Pull a cosplay on her, huh?”

“If that’s what you want to call it. We don’t need information on her, we need information on her allies.” Haru said with a smirk. “I’m going to be speaking with Hibari later, let him know there’s some herbivores invading his territory. With him prowling she’ll be a bit more distracted.”

“Giving us the in we need.” Hana snorted. “You’re scary sometimes.”

“Fon keeps telling me that.” Haru rolled her eyes. “Need me to drop you off somewhere?”

“The bank if you don’t mind.” Hana chuckled and Haru sighed before doing just that.

With the wheels turning Haru was sort of glad to pause for her sushi date with Travis. It was a breath of fresh air to just be normal for a moment. That and the night before she had to defuse a fight between Sayuri and Fran that Athens instigated.

On the plus side she had dropped Beijing off at the airport that morning.

She was kind of glad that Travis didn’t bat an eye at her slightly harried appearance. She wasn’t even dressed up, opting for the plain white blouse and black pencil skirt of her uniform. She did have work that night but a quick bite to eat beforehand was always welcomed.

“Rough day?” The Irishman grinned even as he held the door open for her.

“Just some household drama.” She gave a dismissive wave. “My roommates sometimes make me feel like I’m babysitting them.”

He snorted. “Well, I’m glad to pull you away from the drama.”

Entering the restaurant, she was greeted by a grinning Tsuyoshi. A few brief words let her know that Takeshi was off running an errand for Tsuna. Regardless she felt at ease as she spent most of the meal laughing and comparing stories with Travis.

“I’m still surprised by how young you are.” He said grinning at her. “You make me feel old.”

“You’re still in your twenties.” She argued with a grin.

“Late twenties.” He countered.

“Well, old man, at least you’re still young enough to see the world. How many late twenties do you know that can say they left their country for a whole new region of the world?” She teased with a grin.

“Sadly, not many.” He chuckled. “But then again I don’t often have dinner with geniuses.”

“So, you have another thing to cross off your bucket list.” She countered. “Had sushi with a genius.”

“That’s oddly specific.” He shot back. “But I suppose it’s a once in a life time experience.”

Haru notice Tsuyoshi giving her a wave out of the corner of her eye. It was enough that she glanced at her wrist watch and nearly swore. Luckily their dinner had been winding down, or otherwise she would have cringed at her rudeness.

“You have to go?” Travis asked as she began standing.

“The hospital get’s really busy around this time of the week.” She said with a polite bow. “Thank you for the meal and I’m sorry I have to run like this.”

“No, thank you.” He insisted as he stood. “And don’t ever apologize for racing off to save lives. This world needs more people like you in it, Miura-sensei.”

She would have argued as she felt a slight flush grace her cheeks, but she was pressed for time. She gave Tsuyoshi a nod, letting him know to put her meal on her tab, and powerwalked to the door. It would figure as she was headed for her car that someone would stop her.

The moment she felt a hand on her elbow she was moving. However, a glance made her jerk to a stop. Belphegor was very lucky she recognized him, or it would have resulted with at least a broken nose on his part.

“Belphegor-san.” She hissed even as she followed him into the shadows of the darkened alleyway next to TakeSushi. “What are you doing? I’m going to be late for work.”

“Hush, Kitsune.” Belphegor muttered pulling her close as he seemed to watch something over her shoulder. “How do you know that bastard Corcoran?”

She paused as she tried to decide which questions she should be asking.

“It went well.” Travis’s voice suddenly drifted towards them. “She still doesn’t expect anything. Are you sure she’s really the woman the Varia are after? She’s smart and all but she’s a bit of a ditz.”

Haru felt her mouth drop at the insult. Luckily Belphegor’s arms staid locked around her waist as she turned to go give that Irish bastard a talking to. She however would appreciate it if the Varia Storm hadn’t put his hand over her mouth as well.

“Oh no Cassie, she’s pretty powerful. Even with her keeping her Flames in check I could practically taste them across the table. If you can’t pin her down, don’t be surprise if I do. My last Cloud was a bit of a disappointment.”

Haru knew two things then. One, Travis Corcoran was a bastard that needed to be erased from existence. Two, she was definitely going to put an end to Cassandra if it was the last thing she did.

She barely noticed how her Flames simmered under her skin for a second before dying low. It was a natural response her Shishou trained into her. A response he learned from his Shishou long ago that equated to nothing good to anyone who met with their ire.

Shishou once likened it to snake coiling and readying for the strike.

A sudden gentle warmth caressed her form from behind. She wanted to hiss at the slight taste of citrus lingering on her tongue. But the steady, destructive, Flames lightly pressing against her kept her from lashing out.

“Alright, alright, I’ll meet you back at the hotel.” Travis said with a chuckle.

Haru wanted to protest as Belphegor dragged her further into the alleyway. But she didn’t think she could trust herself not to fall into a rage if she laid eyes on the redhead again. The thought of work taking a bit of a backseat as she let Belphegor guide her deeper into the dark maze of Namimori.

“That fucking bastard!” She hissed as quietly as she could as soon as Belphegor let her go. “When I see him again, they won’t find the pieces!”

Belphegor’s chuckle drew her attention to him. “Looks like your friend Cassandra brought in some help.”

Haru didn’t quite have words to say, but felt her low primal growl got her point across.

Belphegor licked his lips as he reached over and brushed some of her hair out of her face. “You’re gorgeous when bloodthirsty.”

“Not the time, little prince.” She hissed getting a grin.

“So, Corcoran?” Belphegor asked darkly.

“Ran into him a few days ago and decided to be the nice helpful local.” She spat with distain. “Figures he’d turn out to be a problem. Why are men so difficult?”

“Because they aren’t the prince.” Belphegor gloated with his arms crossed and head held high. She snatched at his crown and came away with it easily. “HEY!”

“Puff up any more and I swear you were Lussuria-san in disguise.” She hissed getting a snort from him.

“Aren’t you going to ask what I know about your new little complication?” Belphegor offered instead with a charming grin. “You know, we really should establish a working relationship by now. What with you keeping my kohai among your horde and all.”

“Horde?” She raised an eyebrow as cool smirk crawled across her lips. “And what, pray tell, am I hording, Belphegor-sama?”

The way he stiffened shouldn’t have made the something dark and vicious inside her purr pleasantly. Really, she shouldn’t be redirecting her suppressed rage this way. But she couldn’t take her rage out on her intended target just yet and playing with this Storm always made her feel better.

Before he could respond she slid back into his space and grabbed his shirt. He moaned as their lips and teeth met while her arms slid around his neck. To his credit he did seemed to snap out of his daze when her fingers brushed against the side of his neck, right where she pinched the last two times to knock him out cold.

Almost giggling she pushed him back suddenly. He huffed as his back hit the concrete wall behind him. But he just seemed to grin at her with a grin that hinted at dark things.

“If I want your information, I’ll ask for it.” She decided as she twirled his crown around her finger. “But I have work, so that will have to wait.”

She pivoted on her heel and began to march away. Only for him to snag her elbow again as he loomed over her from behind. She tilted her head back to look up at him, seeing his bangs pushed aside enough for one of his eyes to show through.

“Next time just give me a call if you want a date. I’d more than happily oblige.” He growled through a sly grin.

She hummed in acknowledgement. But at that moment, she really was going to be late for work. So, she pushed forward trying to untangle the knot of dark angry wrath that seemed to slither around them.

He let her go, but she could feel his eyes piercing her form as she left.

Whether or not she actually went to him for help really didn’t matter. They both knew she had more than capable minions that could find all the information she could ever hope for on this latest upset. But what did matter was how her rage and his lust for destruction seemed to resonate together almost perfectly.

That, she decided, would definitely be a worse problem in the future, desu.


	37. Training a Kit

The thirty-seventh time she stole his crown, it was in a meeting with the Varia. The night after her date with Travis, she unleashed the hounds into Namimori. The quiet devil dogs at her disposal were baying for blood and more than happy to do her bidding.

Hibari was getting bored with such little action as it was. He took one look at her cool purple eyes and asked which fool they were going to bite to death. Needless to say, Tsuna was quick to get up to speed with Hibari’s territory disputes.

Tsuna was also a surprise.

“I know you and Hibari are likely already ten steps ahead of us.” He stuttered over the phone not long after her meeting with the Disciplinary Committee Chairman. “Fon said it’s a Cloud thing that’s going on. And I still think it’s weird you have Cloud Flames but I’m not judging. Just, well, um, could you give me a bit of a heads up? Dad’s been causing problems and Lal-san is about ready to start a war. Apparently the CEDEF is now split down the middle with some loyalists siding with him and the rest too afraid of her and Colonnello to side against them.”

She hummed. “And what’s in it for me?”

“Right, sorry, I kind of forgot you’re also a Yakuza boss for a second.” He cleared his throat. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I, um, uh…”

She had to laugh at him, she really did. “It’s okay, Tsuna-san. I know what you mean. And thanks. But still, what do I get out of this little arrangement?”

She grinned as she heard him yelp suddenly. A few seconds later she could hear him arguing with Reborn, though it was muffled. She figured he had put a hand over the receiver to keep the argument somewhat private.

He was a work in progress still, but she approved.

He returned quickly while clearing his throat. “How about, if you give the Vongola a heads up, we’ll do the same for you should things boil over with dad? We will also help you at our convenience if you extend the same courtesy to us.”

She hummed as she thought it over. She was pretty sure they both knew she’d steal his minions regardless what he had to say in the matter. Hibari and Mukuro were still in her pocket while Yamamoto would drop everything to help her if she asked.

“Very well.” She conceded with a grin. “Keep this up and we might make an actual negotiator out of you yet.”

She hung up before she could hear his response. She got his okay and that’s all she needed. She made a note to tell Fon that Reborn needed to teach Tsuna about the pitfalls of negotiating over the phone.

She also made a note to figure out when Fon had joined Namimori-Kai under her nose, because at this point it seemed he was acting as one of her subordinates.

Speaking of subordinates, the Maboroshi were skulking the shadows and her men were casually staking out key locations in town. It was enough that she had to enact one of her ploys to keep the police out of her business, even if every person vaguely linked to the underground was shivering and jumping at shadows. With the Disciplinary Committee out, helping reinforce the laws both written and unwritten in Namimori, the towns people wisely scurried home to be with their families when it got dark.

She heard whispers that some were even talking about Youkai being spotted at night. She wondered only briefly if some of her girls were getting sloppy, but Sayuri assured her it was only to stir up some rumors. They didn’t really want to drag innocents into their shadow wars if they could help it.

Something they did well when they were in the shadow wars with the Yakuza groups that eventually became Namimori-Kai.

In all she gave it a week. A week for Hana to go to town with her division. A week for Hibari to menace both the locals and the foreigners too careless to care about his territory.

A week for her to sit back and watch the paranoia of Namimori twist until the tension was close to breaking.

It also gave her time to quietly work without having to deal with anyone. She really didn’t want to give up her job at the hospital just yet. So, she let them stew as she kept careful tabs of the coming and goings of patients to her hallowed white halls.

She even took a nap before rising bright and early on her day off with a wicked smile on her face.

Surprisingly her house was quiet for once. Athens was off stalking Colonnello and Lal, wanting to keep an eye on the ongoing drama in the CEDEF just in case. Fon was off helping the new Triad representative get settled in.

So that left the house almost empty it seemed. Fran was in his room, Sayuri was spending most of the time in the basement, and Haru found Moscow in the living room letting Hotaru paint his nails bright glittery orange. She paused as she blinked at the scene because Hikaru was in the process of brushing the Russian’s long hair with a look of absolute concentration on his tiny scrunched up face.

“Getting a makeover, handsome?” She asked with a slight smile.

“Sayuri-chan mentioned you both will be busy today, so I volunteered to babysit.” He rumbled with a bemused smirk at Hotaru. The little girl was doing a pretty good job for still learning how to color between lines. “I also was hoping to talk to you about something without the rest around.”

“Something?” She asked moving to sit with him on the living room floor.

“I got a call from the Commander.” He said making her stiffen. “Things are going well on his end, but he might have to call you in soon. Not only would your Flames help the cause, you’re one of the few on hand that can address any emergency medical issue that might arise.”

“So, we’re really going through with it.” She stated glad she was sitting down. “It’s really going to happen.”

“The Commander and General have been planning this for nearly two decades now.” Moscow reminded her. “All the research, all the teams searching, it’s been a long-fought war. Your father helped greatly in all this.”

“Yea,” She muttered glancing at the picture frame that had her father’s picture, “yea, he did.”

“There’s a reason the Commander adopted you, sister.” Moscow added making her smile. It wasn’t often he admitted their familial ties. “Even if dad didn’t, I know I would still consider you worthy of being my sibling.”

“Yea.” She said glancing at him.

He looked nothing like Shishou or Shishou’s Shishou. Well except perhaps his sharp jawline and cheekbones that gave him some effeminate features. Then again, she had never seen either her adopted father or grandfather’s true coloring since their Flames seemed to saturate their very DNA.

“It’s just with everything that’s been happening, that has happened.” She sighed making him huff slightly in amusement. That was something he shared with Shishou, the low rumbling laughter that was more of a purring sound.

“The General declared that things won’t progress until you’re in the clear, however. He’s waited some thirty plus years, he’s adamant he can wait some more if it means everything is set.” Moscow said almost fondly making her laugh.

Slowly her laughter died as she thought. “So, what do you think will happen to the Organization afterwards?”

Moscow looked like he wanted to shrug but was mindful of her babies. “The General has already decided to step down. He had only one goal in mind when he founded the Organization. The Commander has been working to step into power after his father steps down.”

“Where does that leave us?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I’ve been asked to take over our branch of the Organization.” He said softly. “I’ve been thinking of accepting. I know dad never wanted it, but the Organization is all I know at this point. I barely remember the years before when we had been living with the caravan.”

“It happens.” She said with a sigh. “Dad never wanted me to get dragged into anything either. He just about had a heart attack the first time he met my friends and recognized Reborn for who he was.”

“I’m pretty sure that was the day he called up the Commander to demand that if anything happened to him, dad would become your guardian no arguments allowed.” Moscow snorted making her giggle knowing it was probably the case. “If I do become the new Commander, I can discharge your contract with the Organization.”

“Or modify it.” She said with a nod, noticing his blink. “I know I have a lot going on right now. But I’ve been thinking about consolidating things. Hiroyuki would make a good stand in if I for some reason was unable to stay in the country. Sayuri can also run the Maboroshi with her eyes close and no input from me.”

“Thinking of joining the Varia then.” He huffed with a smirk.

“It’d solidify the ties Namimori-Kai and the Vongola have been forming. Thus Tsuna-san will have free access both to Italy and to here, his home.” She said tilting her head. “I won’t even need to be gone long. Just long enough to let the dust settle then I can return here to the hospital.”

“And the Organization?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I enjoy the missions.” She said simply with a shrug. “Plus, it’s some of the only family I have left. I’m not saying full-time, but some part-time work would be nice.”

“Part-time is more than doable.” Moscow agreed with an almost cheeky grin she recognized easily.

“Stop that, you look a bit too much like Shishou now.” She huffed only to get a low chuckle in return. “Anyway, that won’t be for at least another few weeks. I still have Cassandra and her hooligans to root out.”

“If you need some help, don’t hesitate to ask. Vacationing really isn’t my forte.” Moscow snorted even as Hotaru began finishing up his nails. “Though I don’t mind spending time with my niece and nephew.”

“Sure, but I’m thinking of taking Fran out. He’s waffling between the Varia and Maboroshi. It’s about time I test his knowledge of protocols.” She said with a sudden wicked smirk before she paused. “I might have to make a few deals with Mammon… How likely do you think I can get away with trading information for information?”

“It’s you, Little Sweet.” He smirked. “You’re a master of crowd manipulation and deflecting. Plus, I have a feeling you’re only asking because you have a plot already brewing and want me to relay a heads up to those that need to know.”

“You’re the worst, aniki.” She huffed but grinned. “Enjoy your makeover, Handsome.”

She stood to go abduct Fran.

“Oh, and Little Sweet.” He called as she headed towards the stairs. She wondered if he heard the scampering feet like she did.

“Yea?”

His smirk was cold and sadistic. “If that boy hurts you, I won’t need cement to way down his corpse when I toss it into the Pacific.”

She felt her face scrunch. “I’m NOT going to introduce my significant other to the family before dekichatta-kon.”

“If you’re planning a shotgun marriage then be prepared to be lacking a groom.” Moscow shot back with a smirk. “You know how dad is.”

She rolled her eyes even as she flipped him off on her way up the stairs. Sometimes she wondered about her life, especially after being an only child for so long then finding herself in a family with siblings. And she thought Yamamoto and Hibari were sometimes overprotective.

She found Fran in his room, sprawled on his bed reading a manga. She wasn’t fooled of course, but she would let him come to her. Instead she slipped forward on silent feet and tapped his spine right between his shoulder blades.

He yelped and nearly fell off his bed as a wave of half formed Mist Flames hit her. The half-formed illusion tasted slightly of brimstone and left a hint of warmth against her arms. But otherwise it was harmless as he blinked up at her with wide eyes.

“Not bad,” she decided, “could use some work though.”

“Nee-chan.” He whined pouting at her. “Don’t start sneaking up on me too. Jason-nii and Dmitri-nii are the worst. They’ve been giving Sayuri-chan ideas. Ideas, nee-chan.”

“Oh, poor you.” She crooned with a grin. His unimpressed glare still looked more like a pout than he probably intended. “But today I decided that if you want to stay after you turn thirteen, you ought to know what you’re signing up for, desu.”

“Chrome-chan is right, when you channel Reborn-san it’s creepy.” Fran deadpanned making her roll her eyes as she grinned and headed over to his closet. “What are you doing?”

“I asked Sayuri-chan to put away the clothes I designed for you.” She said simply as she began pulling out several specific articles of clothes. “You’ll need to travel light, blend in, and still have some protection. So, some durable dark pants, some under armor, bullet resistant vest with helpful pockets, a bandana to help hide your face, and a hoodie that can cover most if not all your gear while also ditching the noticeable hood you like. Add on some gloves and boots and you’ll be a mini-Maboroshi in no time.”

The pants were dark blue thick durable yet flexible and knife proof, not that she would tell Fran that yet, she wanted to know if he could tell the difference from a regular pair of jeans. The under-armor shirt was turtleneck, long sleeved, also knife proof and a cool turquoise. Finally, the dark green vest was simple looking for a tactical vest but that just made it even more useful since no one would glance twice at it.

“I didn’t know what type of Kawaii hoodie to give you.” She added as she laid out a selection of four hoodies. “So, I decided to let you pick. They’re all fundamentally the same, but you can have a dizzy frog hood, a Kawaii fox hood, a happy puppy hood, or a grumpy kitty hood.”

All the hoodies were laid out for inspection. At a glance they appeared too big, until of course someone spotted that the seams of the shoulders would land perfectly, making the sleeves and body of the hoodie’s too long. The hoods were also rather large so once they were up, they would threaten to fall over Fran’s eyes further obscuring the boy from view.

They were also each the darkest shade of color they could be. The frog hoodie was a deep emerald green, the fox a burnt crimson, the puppy an ashy deep grey, while the kitty hoodie was black making the glaring electric green cat eyes stand out. The frog hood came with a cute little pink tongue that stuck out of the stitch mouth, while the other hoods had little ears corresponding to their animals.

They were so reminiscent of her panda hoodie that she even made them reversable. Each hood appeared to have a lighter lining, but it wasn’t obvious especially once Fran put them on. She smiled knowing the frog turned into a dragon, the fox turned into a tanuki, the puppy became a white wolf, and the kitty became a snow leopard.

“I like this one for now, nee-chan.” Fran said holding up the fox hoodie making her smile.

“There should be a bandana in the pocket. Get dressed and meet me in five, we’ll go over some gear and I still have to make sure your gloves and boots will fit.” She said before almost skipping out of the room.

For herself, Haru was quick to change into a modified Maboroshi uniform. Instead of the full body jumper, Haru slipped on a dark indigo sleeveless turtleneck bodysuit. She also put on a pair of soft but thick looking pants and a thick leather looking combat vest that came with a belt that helped secure it to her pants.

She put on the gauntlets and gloves that went up to her elbows, boldly showcasing her tattoos. With her boots and some guards on her shins and kneecaps she was in business. She even clipped her mask to her belt for now as she quickly started slipping her gear into place.

She mostly used this outfit for when she was blatantly in charge of the Maboroshi. Her Namimori-Kai minions were convinced this was her only uniform as well, so it gave her some anonymity when she was in true uniform. That aside it was easy for her to hide her weapons and other gadgets in hidden pockets of her vest as she absently finished getting ready.

Fran showed up as she slipped her guns into their holsters in the small of her back. She grinned seeing he got everything situated right. The hoodie also fit perfectly, and he seemed to like it as he played with the long sleeves that covered his hands from view.

“Alright, sit, sit.” She said motioning him over to the low table in her room. It was currently covered with several gadgets as well as a pair of daggers. “The quicker we cover equipment, the more time I can drill you on the protocols you’re not supposed to know but were taught anyway.”

She ignored the way he gave a slight gulp at that.

Two hours later, they had finished her tests. Fran did well, considering he wasn’t even in the training program her Maboroshi had to complete. It showed he really did spend a little too much time with the Maboroshi, but she couldn’t fault him.

He even showed capable of sparing with the daggers now hidden in concealed holsters near his hips.

“So what next, Chiyome-sama?” He asked in a low whisper as he ducked his chin into the large orange bandana wrapped around his neck.

“Well,” She paused considering it, “you have passed all the tests I can give you today.”

Fran’s shoulders slumped a little making her smirk behind her mask.

“With that in mind, you can accompany me in rounding up the information we need on our current threats to the organization.” She said absently before a pause. “Unless of course you would rather return home and work on your workbooks.”

“I’d prefer to continue shadowing you, Chiyome-sama.” He said without much hesitation.

“Very well, but your workbooks will be done in a timely manner.” She said getting a nod. “Then let’s go see what the tech gurus have dug up.”

The Office, Hana’s domain and the heart of the Maboroshi Technical Division, was located in the basement of one of the apartment complexes the Maboroshi owned. Of course, it was hidden behind an old rusty looking service door and down a dimly lit hall, but that was because it was important. The fact that there were a few cleverly disguised Mist traps also guarding the place was just expected.

“I’ve never been down here before.” Fran muttered in slight awe as they slipped into the Office.

Wall to wall, floor to ceiling, it was a maze of computers and large towering processors. It reminded Haru of the super computer she saw at the University her dad used to work at. But the actual super computer Hana had set up was in another room down a secondary hall in the underground complex they were currently in.

“This place is secret, otouto.” Haru said simply making the boy pause and look at her with wide eyes.

“Hai, nee-chan.” He nodded seriously before sliding closer to her to avoid one of the Maboroshi rushing between stations.

“Chiyome-sama.” A mechanical voice piped up and the duo turned to the Maboroshi wheeling up to them.

Sakura-chan didn’t wear the standard uniform, mostly because she was stuck in a wheelchair. The sickly-looking bi-spectacled young woman suffered from ALS, having spent most of her life wheelchair bound. Now she was in her late thirties but still had enough ability in two fingers to move her chair, while her faithful computer spoke for her.

“Sakura-chan,” Haru greeted with a grin despite her mask, “I take it you and Hana-chan have made progress in locating Cassandra’s allies.”

“Of course.” Sakura said before her wheelchair turned around and headed further into the room. In the middle of the room was a large table of sorts with what appeared to be a projector stationed above it. Also, around the table were several chairs, one of which had Hana already seated and looking at files that were appearing on the tabletop as if it was a monitor.

“Chiyo-kun.” Hana drawled only glancing slightly at Fran. “Showing the kid around?”

“He’s thinking of staying rather than joining the Varia.” Haru said simply taking a seat and motioning to Fran to do the same. “So how much have you found out?”

Hana and Sakura both grinned.

It turns out, Cassandra had two allies currently in Namimori, and both Skies. There was of course Travis Corcoran, whom Haru was already vowing bloody vengeance. The other was in fact Rufus Hancock, an American.

Travis, it turned out, was from a small crime family from Northern Ireland, Belfast to be exact. They got their start up in the seventies helping the Provisional Irish Republican Army, mostly with underground arms dealing and a few terrorist jobs. Since then they were the prime dealers in drugs and were trying to boost their standing among the other crime families in the region.

Rufus Hancock on the other hand was the second in line for a rather prominent New Jersey crime family that operated in and around Atlantic City. They had run into some trouble with the Vongola in the past, mostly with the CEDEF and some allies the ninth made in New York. According to their sources, Rufus was looking to split from his family to start his own branch with several of his loyalists but didn’t quite have the manpower to do so yet.

“They’re both looking to pad out their guardian sets.” Sakura said simply somehow conveying her disgust despite having limited muscle function. “Hancock already has a Cloud. Nowhere near as powerful as you, my lady. But he is missing a Mist and believes if he can steal Xanxus-san’s potential Mist it would boost his status.”

“Corcoran on the other hand is a Cloud trapper.” Hana said with her own disgust making Haru shift. “He’s already forced five Clouds to bond with him. They all either died trying to escape or ended up killing themselves. He knows Cassandra through the private school they attended together. I think he’s in it just to try and force you into a bond. He seems like he could care less about Cassandra.”

“He’s been operating in Namimori for some months now.” Sakura added on as a file appeared. “One of his minions got sloppy in trying to draw you away during one of your Kyoko-patrols. It was enough that they sent one of the Varia Commanders to Namimori to root them out. Unfortunately, Cassandra seems to have the same idea as us and had a few plants in the CEDEF.”

“They got tipped off, but so far all the Commanders are fine. We didn’t know which one was sent but it was given up as a bad job at first. They came in with a full division and eliminated that little group of his supporters.” Hana said making Haru perk up.

“How many months?” She asked eyeing the file.

“Uh, a few months before you took down the first Yakuza group.” Hana said with a frown. “Back when we were running the deep sweep of the Vongola divisions.”

Haru however had the file in front of her and slowly her eyebrow rose. She had a feeling she knew just which commander had been sent. She however wasn’t aware they came back with half of his division to wipe out the threat.

At least the group the Varia had attacked wasn’t the group Haru had been running from that night. That would have made things complicated. But she figured she could use this information regardless.

The rest of the meeting was standard. Fran sat quietly taking it all in as Hana and Sakura delved into the more intricate knowledge they drudged up. Everything from the ongoing businesses, investigations, and allies each family had, to what sort of forces were currently in Namimori and how they were set up.

“That was deep, nee-chan.” Fran whispered as they left the Office.

“That’s the technical division for you.” Haru smirked under her mask. “You’ve been hanging out with the field operatives. It was about time you saw where all their information came from and how logistics knew what to plan for.”

“So where to now, nee-chan?” Fran asked looking a bit excited.

“Now?” Haru smirked. “Either back to the house and your workbooks, or a bit of mischief.”

“Mischief.” Fran deadpanned making her laugh.

“Fine, but then it’s home to your workbooks. I’ve taken up your entire day at this point.” She said getting a serious nod from Fran.

“So what mischief do you have in mind?” he asked as he followed her into the twilight.

“You’re going to break us into the Varia mansion.” Haru said with a hidden grin. “I want to see how much you know about security systems.”

Fran gave her a cautious look but followed her lead regardless. It wasn’t long before they were at the current Namimori Headquarters of the Varia. Haru smiled as she watched over the boy’s shoulder while Fran tried not to sweat as he deactivated the security system of the mansion.

He only needed two corrections, else he would have set off the alarm, but Haru approved.

From there she helped him through a window. He followed as silently as possible, keeping his Flames low, as she led them through the halls. They slipped around minions and Fran proved to be far better at sneaking than she had previously believed.

She slipped them into the large dinning room that had been turned into the main conference room. The Varia commanders sat around the long table, going over their own information. She motioned to Fran to wait near the liquor cabinet as she almost army crawled up to the table.

She waited in the shadows of the chairs for a second as the group turned to Lussuria. With the men distracted, she slipped around the chair just enough to steal Belphegor’s crown. Then she slithered away to stand next to Fran who was doing his best not to laugh into his sleeve.

She grinned behind her mask as she calmly plopped the crown down on the boy’s hood, taking a moment to situate it properly before patting his head.

“This Cassandra trash is starting to piss me off.” Xanxus grumbled after Lussuria finished. “She’s part the reason Miura was protecting our shitty don’s gal, right?”

“She was one of the main instigators, correct.” Haru pipped up helpfully. Fran’s shoulder’s shook as Haru caught the glass sailing at her head. A twist of her wrist made sure the ice cubes and amber liquid swirled around the edges rather than ending up splashing on her uniform.

“Trash!” Xanxus greeted angrily. “What are you doing here?”

“What? I can’t stop by to say hello?” She asked with a hand on her hip as she waved the glass she was holding from the top rims in the air. “And what’s with throwing things, desu? You’re not two.”

Fran couldn’t suppress his giggles any longer. She didn’t blame him since while Xanxus was still lounging in his chair glaring at her, his elements had stood up in surprise. She was pretty sure Levi nearly shrieked at her sudden appearance, or it could have been Lussuria, she wasn’t sure.

“Kitsune,” Belphegor sighed as he slipped his knives away, “what are you doing here?”

“Eh,” She shrugged motioning to Fran, “we were in the neighborhood and decided to test his breaking and entering skills. You really need to re-evaluate your security, desu. Fran-chan only needed a few minor corrections when he was shutting off the alarms.”

“You shouldn’t be able to shut off the alarms.” Mammon intoned with a frown.

“Says who?” Haru challenged as she grinned behind her mask. The Arcobaleno Mist said nothing as he turned to his phone, a few seconds later he was cursing.

“Did you two cut the external wires again?” Mammon hissed waving his phone at them.

“No comment.” Haru answered simply. She caught the phone thrown at her in disgust. “So, what’s with the talking about Cassandra? She’s my problem, not yours.”

Xanxus huffed sending her a mild glare. “She’s been causing problems for the Vongola as well. At this point the worthless whore is a problem to all of us.”

“Meh,” Haru shrugged as she handed the phone over to Fran to play with. Mammon was sending them evil vibes, but Haru figured he shouldn’t have thrown the phone in the first place if he didn’t want them playing with it. “She’s going to get what’s coming to her soon. I would think that you’d be more focused on Iemitsu and his drama.”

Squalo snorted. “Lal’s got that covered for now. If she wants our help, she’s going to have to ask for it.”

“Funny,” Haru said crossing her arms while still swirling the glass of liquor in her hand, “I got a call earlier about that. Reborn-chan really needs to work on teaching Tsuna-san about over the phone negotiations.”

“What’s our shitty don trying to do now?” Levi bemoaned. “And why are you involved. The last time you were involved you made us look like fools.”

“You make yourselves look like fools. I just provided the setting.” She said simply fighting a grin as Lussuria forced Levi back in his chair.

“So, what are you really doing here then?” Xanxus asked eyeing her. “By now, I’m pretty sure we all know you have something up your sleeve to be skulking about where you’re not supposed to be.”

“Not wearing sleeves.” She said making a point of showing off her mostly bare arms. She noted they paused as they took in her tattoos but otherwise, they all seemed to roll their eyes at her. “But I was hoping to confirm a bit of information you might have for me. Just a few little rumors my girls picked up on a few days ago, nothing serious.”

They all gave her near identical disbelieving looks. She made a show of pouting since they wouldn’t be able to see her do so with her mask on. Fran added to it by giving her a blank yet sympathetic pat on the shoulder from where he was seated on the mini-bar.

Fran then shoved the phone in front of her. She blinked a second before noticing that it was now unlocked. She grinned as she took the phone and began looking through the various files and contacts Mammon had on their phone.

“You really should code your contacts better.” She said absently and stepped out of the way as the Arcobaleno shrieked in rage before materializing near her. She continued dodging his attempts as she found one contact she had been looking for and began changing the information.

“What information do you need confirmed?” Lussuria asked drawing her attention.

“Huh?” Haru asked pausing in a dodge having finished changing the contact information. She didn’t even react when Mammon snatched his phone back.

“The information you wanted confirmed, trash.” Xanxus said eyeing her with a bit of suspicion.

“Oh that,” she said with a shrug before turning to Belphegor. “That time I accidentally took your real crown. You wouldn’t happen to be running from a group of Americans, would you?”

“How’d you know that?” Belphegor asked confirming the information with a tilt of his head.

“I know who their boss is.” She said simply with a shrug. “Just making sure they were in the city as long as we suspected they were. It narrows things down a lot.”

“They weren’t Cassandra’s?” Belphegor frowned.

“Well, she hired them…” Haru trailed off with a shrug.

“You’re going to be difficult, aren’t you girly?” Squalo sighed shaking his head.

Haru hummed. “I don’t really like parting with my information for nothing. I especially don’t like receiving outdated information for stuff I know.”

“And if we have some information you don’t?” Squalo asked with a raised eyebrow.

“What information don’t I have?” She asked innocently.

“The records of that job for one.” Belphegor said with a snort. “Plus, the files of jobs we’ve taken recently concerning Cassandra. Your minions only got a quarter of our files after all.”

“That is tempting.” She said thoughtfully tapping the chin of her mask before turning to Fran. “What do you think, otouto?”

“Maboroshi-chan knows a lot about what’s currently happening in the city.” Fran intoned helpfully.

“She does.” Haru agreed.

“We’ll even let you have access to the other files we have pertaining to the Belmont.” Xanxus said drawing her attention to him. “Her family has been a thorn in the Vongola’s side for a while now. But most of the Varia jobs taken against them were archived. From what we can gather your girls weren’t able to get into the archives.”

“They did get into the archives a few times.” Haru offered thoughtfully. “But weren’t really interested in archived jobs, no. You’re probably right about that information at least.”

“See,” Squalo offered with a smirk, “we can help each other out on this one.”

“Perhaps.” She said turning to Fran who shrugged.

“Maboroshi-chan could use it for logistics.” Fran said tilting his head. “But they already have so much.”

“They do.” Haru said smirking to herself. “But I recall Xanxus-san also asking to borrow the Maboroshi for a bit. It’ll be hard for him to borrow them if they’re so busy.”

“But if they’re busy with the Varia they won’t be able to do their real jobs.” Fran pointed out.

Xanxus let out a sigh. “You’re an evil woman.”

Haru turned to him to tilt her head innocently and point to herself with her free hand.

“Yes, you.” He snorted with a smirk. “Sit, we’ll negotiate terms. You won’t let me steal your minions and I doubt letting your minions potential access to the archives will work out for us in the long run.”

“And don’t tell me you have your com system off.” Levi huffed glaring at her. She politely ignored the snickering of her girls in her ear.

She still walked away with most of her terms met. Xanxus was going to graciously let two of her operatives free reign to the Varia files. In return she would give up a strike team to the Varia for half a year.

Sayuri was already talking to Ryoko about which team. Their whispers of pulling a few operatives from different teams filled the com system while the other girls quieted to let the commanding officers time to discuss it. Normally such things wouldn’t be broadcast through the whole net, but this was important.

“Well, come on otouto.” She said almost dragging the yawning Fran to the window. “It’s late and you didn’t finish your workbook assignments today. So, you have to pull double duty tomorrow.”

“And woman.” Xanxus called as she was shoving Fran out the window. “Next time, use the fucking door.”

“But where’s the fun in that?” She asked before diving out the window with a cackle. She wouldn’t pay to repair the bullet hole in the window frame, even if Mammon threatened.

“Nee-chan.” Fran began as they headed back home.

“Yea?” She asked looking down at the groggy pre-teen. It was nearly midnight now and she had to grab the crown resting on the boy’s hood, so it wouldn’t get lost.

“What did you do to Mammon-chan’s phone?” He asked making her smirk.

“Updated Skull-sama’s information to his current burn phone.” She said simply noticing him blinking at her. “Of course, Mammon-chan might not notice for a while.”

“About what you and Dmitri-nii were talking about earlier.” Fran began, and she waved him off.

“We’ll talk later, when you’re more awake and we’re not in public.” She said getting a nod from him.

“I still think I want to stay with the Maboroshi.” He said as their house came into view.

“You’d do well.” Haru said fondly.


End file.
